


Regality

by Akaisha_Loire



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Royalty, BiPolar!Ben Solo, Common!Rey, F/M, Fluff, Prince!Ben Solo, Royal Family Skywalkers, Social Media, Twitter, pretty much pure fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-03
Updated: 2018-06-29
Packaged: 2019-05-17 21:19:08
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 82,690
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14839355
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Akaisha_Loire/pseuds/Akaisha_Loire
Summary: Her Ben couldn’t be a prince, let alone a Prince of England. Coincidence, she told herself. It was all one giant coincidence.Wherein, Rey dates a man, and has no idea she's just enthralled HRH Prince Ben Solo, Duke of Cambridge.Royalty!AU





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This technically started as a Royal Wedding AU when I got stuck watching the Royal Wedding during my bestfriend's wedding, it has since grown into a monster of a fic. I've done as much research on London (having never been there) as possible, and extensive research on the royal family, succession, homes, etc. I do apologize for any misinformation. Also, some locations are completely fabricated, but in the general area of real establishments.
> 
> Extra note: for the context of this fic, Anakin Solo has become Anakin Skywalker II, given that Ben is the Solo in the movieverse. Thank you!

Rey cursed as she stumbled onto the National Express, narrowly missing the train as the doors closed, cutting off a man waving his briefcase futilely.

There’s not many commuters this late in the morning, Rey notes, taking an open seat near the door. A woman shakes her head, telling her daughter to quit staring at the blue haired girl next to her. By the opposite door is a tourist looking couple, weighed down with packs, and suitcases, huddling close over their phones, muttering about locations. Rey has sat down next to a man in a black hoodie, the hood pulled up, sunglasses covering his eyes as he stares straight ahead; admittedly, not the strangest thing she’s seen on the rails.

The little girl asks her mother rather loudly if she can poke holes in her face too, and everyone in the car laughs, including an elderly woman who looks up from her book long enough to call the girl silly. The blue haired girl, pierced as she is, turns to the little one, winking with her eye that sports a pierced brow.

The train comes to a brief stop at Bishopsford, and a couple of men talking rapidly on cell phones slide off; the traveling couple move forward, indicating they’d liking be getting off next. One woman in a sundress boards and they’re off again, rushing off towards the next stop in Sutton.

When they come to a stop some five minutes later in Town Centre the majority of the people left in her car exit. The mother with her little girl hurry out first, followed by the blue haired girl who waved enthusiastically to the enamoured youth. Book reading elderly woman exits followed by another man that had been situated in the corner, now looking at his watch as if he’s late. Rey can see a slew of people exit from the other cars, hurrying about to their respective destinations.

All that remains in her car are herself, hoodie wearing man next to her, and the tourist couple who seem to be arguing about getting off here or not. Their decision is made when the doors close, the train jerks, and their in route to Sutton Station; the AB stop, that is her own destination.

With the car empty she moves to the seats across from herself, putting space between the silent man Ray Ban wearing man. He barely moves a muscle as they sway along, the couple looks at him before looking at Rey, as if contemplating asking one of them for help. Rey digs into her pocket to get her cellphone when the woman finally finds the courage. “I’m sorry to bother you, but I feel like we’re lost and he won’t ask for directions,” she says--accent seemingly American--motioning to the man behind her.

She shows Rey the map of a townhome somewhere off Cavendish Road. Rey didn’t know Sutton extremely well, but she’d been to Tesco Express enough to recognize the road name. “I’m not positive,” she confessed. “But when you exit the station you’ll see a Tesco, go down a few clicks past BP, and you’ll see the street. There’s a bus too, if you don’t want to walk it.”

“Oh, okay!” the woman beamed. “So the next station is the right one?”

Rey nodded, allowing the woman to be on her way, returning to the man’s side, smacking his shoulder when he jokingly said, “I told you so.”

They’re still laughing at each other’s own sense of direction when they step off at Sutton Station, Rey behind them, and oddly, the sunglasses wearing man is right behind her. It wouldn’t be odd, persay, for two people in London to get off at the same stop, but it is odd that he follows her up the same steps, out the exit and down the street to her own destinations path.

Logically, he could be going to anywhere along Worcester Road; Rey has walked this path many time, and knows it’s primarily residential. She just cant help the feeling as if she’s being pursued by a creature in a mask, silently stalking her several paces behind as if to imply he wasn’t following.

She doesn’t want to run, doesn’t want to look foolish in case he enters one of the multitudes of townhomes along the path, but she can’t help but feel a sense of anxiety. As if she should have just take the 470 to York, instead of walking the half mile to her destination. But Rey was a girl that liked the bit of exertion, enjoyed taking in the blossoming foliage that lined the sidewalk. Trees, and bushes were normally beautiful to her, so green, and full of life, though today, they might just act as silent witnesses to her murder if the man gets any closer. When she picks up her pace, so does he, a silent game of cat and mouse, that she never agreed to play.

Her normal serene ten minute walk turns into one of apprehension, every moment looking over her shoulder until she sees the familiar wrought iron gates of Galactic City Group home, where children are already chasing each other in play. She, personally, makes a show of impatience, running the few feet that separate her from the children, as if she’s eager to play, and not to get away from the man; who now looms in the gateway. This is a group home, she thinks victoriously, looking to the multitude of windows that face them. At any given time there is twenty children, curious about any visitors that might arrive at the place they call home till someone chooses them as their own.

A tiny little voice in her head adds and addendum, cooing that she’s brought a murderer to her childhood home just seconds before a group of little boys yell the name Ben, and take off running towards the hooded man.

Rey watches in astonishment as the man lowers his hood, takes off his sunglasses and bends to the children’s level; none of them waste a moment to tackle the dark haired man. The man, Ben, groans, but catches the smallest--a boy Rey knows as Carl--and hoists him into the air where he delightfully sequels that he’s flying. “Did you bring us presents?!” Another boy, James, shouts, kicking at Ben’s foot.

“Oh! Did you bring another toy car?!” a 6 year old, Benji, is tugging on Ben’s sweatshirt, attempting to monopolize his time away from Carl.

“I want an airplane!” That’s Carl, still held up by Ben’s arms from where he lay sprawled on the ground.

Over the shouting, Rey feels her face heat up with shame, that she let her mind get so far off track, concocting fantasies of murder; ashamed that she assumed she was the only person in all of London, that volunteers at Galactic City. She can’t help but chastise herself over her own inferences, even as a little girl, Verona, pulls on her sleeve, asking if she’ll show them more karate; her face is tomato red when Ben glances over at her.

“Ben!” the booming voice of Maz Kanata, the homes caretaker, echoes across the courtyard. The small woman bounds across the yard till she’s in front of the man, extracting Carl to pull Ben to his feet until he towers over her. The hug she gives him is comical, something you’d see in cartoons, her head only reaching his navel from what Rey can tell. Maz gives it her all though, hugging him tight so he can’t escape her affections, his arms are trapped at his sides, so he stares there, a hugged tree. “Come, come, let me introduce you to Rey.”

Rey shifts awkwardly from foot to foot as Maz draws the giant of a man over. Up close, he looks practically regal with sharp defined facial lines, strong square jaw that somehow manages to have a softer edge. When they say boys take after their mothers, she thinks this must be what they mean. Because even though he’s a man, a very attractive man, there’s still a delicate line to his features. There's a mole, a beauty mark, above his left brow and one next to his nose that might have detracted from some, but for him, its it's rather iconic in a Marilyn Monroe way. Even when he turns a smirk on her, it’s creases his face in all the right places.

She wonders, briefly, which of her parents she took after. What people would say of her, If they met her. Was she more her father or her mother,

“Ben, this is Rey, she used to live here and now volunteers. Rey, this is Ben. His grandfather and Ben Kenobi were the best of friends,” Maz tells her, urging the two of them to shake hands.

She’s awed by how his hand swallows up her own, encasing it so tightly in warmth; a fleece on a cold Winter morning warmth. A warm cup of tea with cinnamon on Christmas morning. She doesn't want to let go. “Ben..”

“Not a murderer, as you were likely thinking,” he says in jest--his accent is somewhere between American and English, an interesting mix--and her face alights with mortification, moment broken, her eyes desperately seek anything that isn't his grin. “Couldn’t help but notice you sped up walking.”

“Well, who just follows a girl wearing a hoodie and glasses? And matches my speed,” she shots back, crossing her arms in defiance. Nice hands aside, this Ben might just be a jerk.

“Who indeed?” Maz hums, as if she’s in on some cosmic joke that Rey isn’t privy to. Ben chuckles, and Rey tells her body to immediately stop from reacting to the sound. It sounds like trees smell, oaky, smooth, crisp, and her stomach tingles with happiness.

“I apologize, I confess, I was having a bit of fun with you, I assumed we could clear it up upon arrival, when I realized you were coming here,” he told her, with minimal remorse in his tone.

“You’re a jerk, you know that?” she concludes, turning on her heel to take Verona’s hand. “I’m going to start lunch,” she told the two, stomping off with the little girl who mimicked, pulling her knees high to match Rey’s stride, back straight, chest out, a warrior marching into battle.

Behind her she hears Ben say, “Does she really not know who I am?”

And chooses not to comment.

If he was some celebrity, then good, a bruised ego would do him some good. The whole of the world doesn’t stop just for him. Maybe she would teach him some humility today.

*

By 14:00 the majority of the children are going down for a nap after a full day of learning Aikido from Rey--with styrofoam staffs at Maz’s insistence- and hearing stories about time in the Royal Air Force from Ben, who is apparently an accomplished pilot. They play board games--Ben is a sore loser, and spends a solid hour in stone silence over Rey bankrupting him in Monopoly--and a few video games; Ben is, admittedly, better at them. They depart for the station together, just before 15:00, the few older teens of the home walk them out, begging them to come back again soon.

“So, Jack the Ripper, where are you headed?” Rey asks, as Ben makes a show of pulling his hoodie back up, replacing his sunglasses.

“I like to think the Ripper wore a top hat,” he says, shoving his hands into his pockets. “He also tends to stalk the defenseless. I saw your demonstration, you’re far from an unawares street walker. Makes me wonder why you were worried about me following you.”

_You’re a beanstalk of a man_ , she defends in the privacy of her thoughts. “Could have been a woman,” she conversates verbally, swallow past the lump in her throat at the compliment.

“I’m sold on Joseph Barnett,” he replies, pulling his cellphone out long enough to look at the time. “Do you have time for coffee?” he asks.

“Are you a Ripper enthusiast?” she simultaneously questions before backtracking, stopping in her tracks to blink at him owlishly. “I’m sorry, what?”

“Coffee,” he repeats, enunciating each syllable. “There’s a Starbucks at the station.”

“I..” she stammers, tilting her head, double timing her steps to catch up with him, because he doesn’t slow down, just keeps walking as if he simply said, it looks like rain, to a stranger. “Did you just ask me out?”

“For coffee. I’m curious to hear more from the girl who can commune with robots,” he told her, a smile tugging at his lips as he relayed the awe of children when she coded a simple star picture on the home’s computer.

She puffed out her chest, squaring her shoulders, staring him down, like a hunter with prey in his scope. “One drink, and if you try anything funny, you’ll see the full extent of my martial arts skills.”

“And where does binary come in?” he jested, laughing when she turned to punch him in the shoulder without preamble.

Why had she been afraid of this man, again?

*

“...Rose was my roommate second year of Uni and she had a massive crush on my best mate, Finn, so when she wanted to talk about him…”

“You used binary?” Ben concluded, looking over the menu as they waited for a barista; his sunglasses were still in place, Rey noted.

She shrugged. “I was a engineering major, she was computer science, it seemed fun. When the kids saw a text from her in our binary I told them it was secret robot text, and it stuck. Now, they all assume I’m one with robotics. A few of them even tried coming up with their own variations of binary.”

“Hi, what can I get started for you?” the barista greeted, and Ben let Rey go first, offering to pay since he invited her. She went with the hibiscus infusion, wanting to stay to cold drinks with the 32 degree weather, while he got the mint herbal tea. The barista looked at them, hands poised above the keys, hands visibly shaking as she stood there slack jawed, not bothering to write their names on the cups. The girl, Libby, looked like she was on the verge of aneurysm.

“Are you alright?” Rey questioned, wondering if the girl was a bit touched, or if Rey should be concerned enough to call 999.

“I...yes...are you….I’m sorry..” she stumbled, looking at the keys then back up. She does this twice before seeming to snap out of whatever has her fidgeting. “You said..you want….”

“Grande hibiscus infusion and a grande mint herbal tea,” Ben repeated, this time the barista seemed to catch on, typing in the order, fumbling twice, ringing up the wrong items. The girl grabbed the cups, scribbling a couple times before writing ‘Ben’ on both, pushing them over and accepting his credit card.

“Oh right, you’re some hot shot celebrity,” Rey recalled, leaning against the counter as they waited for the receipt.

He chuckled, taking the card and receipt, putting a finger to his lips for the girl’s silence. “Something like that.”

“Get famous during your time with the military?”

“No, actually, was kind of born into notoriety. I was only in the air force for two years,” he told her, guiding her to the end of the counter. “This isn’t exactly first date talk, so how about we keep it to favorite colors and movies.”

“You’re suggesting there’ll be a second date. According to Maz, you’re too old for me. She said you’re 32?”

“I am,” he corroborated. “And you’re past Uni age, so you can’t be much younger than me.”

“Excuse you! I’ll have you know I’m 22, I turn 23 in fall, nowhere near my thirties yet, old man.”

“Close enough, sweetheart,” he teased, reaching for their drinks when their name was called. He hands her the pink colored juice, leading her to a table in the corner, removing his sunglasses once he sat down. “You are ten years younger than me, so younger than I thought.”

“Turn you off? Now i’m repulsive, right?”

“No. My mom and dad are ten years apart in age, so it doesn’t bother me. Does it bother you?”

“Hmm,” she hummed, closing her eyes in contemplation. Truth of the matter was she never imagined herself with an older man before. When she thought of guys, or girls, for that matter, she always imagined herself staying with in a five year rule. Ages twenty to twenty-seven seemed ideal to her, but thirty-two didn’t sound horrible, except when she did the math in her head, realizing he was born in the 80s and she wasn’t born till the late 90s. When she phrased it like that it was much more vexing. “I dont think so,” she decided. “Except, I haven’t agreed to this being a date.”

“Fair enough,” he nodded, voice oddly level for a man that had just been teasing her.

She learns quickly that it’s a pattern in Ben. His tone seems to rapidly change from flirtatious, jovial, to angry, or curt in blinks of the eye, all seemingly unconsciously on his part. It’s like she can physically see his brain walking the tightrope as they chat, trying to find equilibrium between one set of emotions and another. She’s seen this before, in a childhood friend, who was happy one moment and solemn the next. The girl had been only 18 when she’d been admitted to a hospital to help her after a bought of mania had her jumping off a roof onto a trampoline because she thought she was invincible. Rey had tried to keep in touch with her over the years, but she had refused; always afraid for people to see her highs and lows.

Rey hadn’t learned till later that her group home friend had been diagnosed with bipolar disorder, and she couldn’t help but wonder if Ben was bipolar; it wasn’t appropriate to ask.

They keep the conversation light, learning things like Ben’s favorite color being red, and his favorite movie series is Tremors. “That’s like Sharknado for old people!” Rey jokes, and they laugh over it, considering Rey’s guilty pleasure movie series is the Bring It On movies.

“Rose, her sister Paige, and I have a girl’s night at least once a month and watch them, we can’t help it!” she confesses, before they move onto TV shows where they agree that Sci-Fi has some of the best content when done right; she waxes for ten solid minutes about Firefly. Ben is all about the Netflix show, Sense8, telling her she needs to go home tonight and watch it, because she’s never seen it.

They both meet on the platform of trashy reality being strangely addictive, they’re like moths to a flame that is scripted reality. “Dating shows?! Finn and I are addicted to dating shows!”

“I like competition shows. The body painting ones, costuming, things that rely on skill I tend to get into,” he tells her, pulling out his phone to look at the time, it’s the third time he’s done that; it’s off putting.

“Somewhere to be? Another date?” she grouses, looking at her own phone, surprised that they’ve been sitting there for almost two hours.

“With my mom, actually, in Westminster, so I should be going if I’m going to make it by five,” he tells her, unlocking his phone, sliding his fingers over the screen in practice motioned. He turns his new contact list to her, prompting her to put in her number. “If you think I’ve earned that second date, that is.”

“I think you’ve earned a consideration for a second date, but you are still leaving me for another woman,” she tells him, typing in her number, smiling when he laughs outright at her joke. “We’ll see how I feel in a week.”

*

**Libby McDougal** @FutureQueen_Libby          5m

  
OMG! I JUST SERVED HRH PRINCE BEN AT STARBUCKS IN SUTTON! MY HEART! I AM CRYING!  #royalfamily #PrinceBen #Starbucks

 

*

  
Rey agrees to meet Ben in Whitechapel for their second--she’s not calling it a date--date because it’s only thirty minutes from where she works in Silvertown. Unfortunately, that means hurriedly changing in the company bathroom in something presentable; Eliza, the receptionist, comments she looks nice as Rey rushes by. She hops on the DLR, hoping she makes it to the Overground non-stop to Whitechapel road before it’s depart at 18:33. Her foot insestly taps out her impatience in rhythm.

She texts him that she’ll be there by 18:35, trying to ignore the selling of her heart at their endless string of good morning and good night texts, intermittent with nonsensical ramblings of their everyday lives.

Ben’s last text says he’ll meet her at Whitechapel Station and they’ll walk to the place together, somewhere called Club Deeja that’s she’s never heard of.

She texts Rose and Finn telling them she’ll be home late, likely past 20:00 given that’ll take her another hour to get home if no trains are delayed. Finn sends her several emojis that suggests she’s highbrow for going to a pub in Whitechapel. While Rose sends her several sexually suggestive emojis with a winky face, a text follows telling her to stay out as late as she wants. That text is followed by Rose demanding all the details later, and she would be texting Paige and their other friend, Jessika, to hound her for details.

When she arrives, she follows the way out signs, finding him towering over everyone else on the other side of the turnstiles. dressed nice in slacks and a black button down, he makes her—in her plain white lace sundress—feel underdressed in comparison. She had gone for a thrown together look, trying to portray an air of aloofness, he clearly wanted to leave no room for interpretation in his intentions of dating her.

Same as the first time they met, he is wearing sunglasses, refusing to take them off as he holds out his arm to escort her. She accepts, making her step closer to him subtle, as if she was regaining her balance. “So, we talked about TV, movies, and colors last time, what’s safe territory this time?” she asks as they walk, following the signs for Whitechapel Road.

“Hm. Jobs? Books?” he suggests, his voice low, almost depressive, she covers his hand with her own and he immediately begins stroking over the underside of her hand. “You said you came from work, right?”

“Yeah, I work at a plant in Silvertown, they make sliding doors, windows, nothing fancy, and I don’t really get to do anything fun. Mainly run coffee, answer phones, basic work of a student right out of Uni. There’s another company I want to apply for, but I need at least a year experience, and I’m three months in here.”

“No actual engineering work?”

She shrugs. “Some? I mean, mainly data entry on some projects, since i’m still technically ‘in training’, maybe soon I’ll get to do some actual engineering. Nobody wants me to show them up,” she winks.

Ben bobs his head along to note that he’s listening as he leads her inside the semi hidden pub called Club Deeja; a short five minute walk from the station. In Rey’s opinion it looks more like a home then an actual pub, situated between a fashion store and gelato store front. There’s only a small bronze plaque that titles the edifice, established in 1968. They ignore the black front door, opting for the stairs down that lead to a cellar, where a small contingent of youth are waiting.

Ben by passes them, opening the door, holding it open for Rey to step inside. Inside the place is alive with activity. Every table seems to be filled, wait staff hurrying back and forth to keep up with the beginnings of Friday evening supper rush. There’s chairs situated in the foyer, groups, couples, waiting for a table while the hostess keeps tabs of wait times. A blonde woman near the desk that she can’t get a table till we’ll after 19:00, and considers going elsewhere, but her girlfriend is desperate to try Club Deeja’s beef Wellington.

Regardless of wait times they’re seated immediately—to the chagrin of the blonde woman, who expresses her displeasure loudly—led to an open booth towards the back, furthest from the music speakers, and semi hidden from view. The hostess bows, and places their menus down, telling them their server will be with them soon. “My grandmother’s cousin owns this place, or well, his son runs it now, but it’s a family establishment,” he informs her removing his sunglasses, and she makes an ‘o’ shape with her mouth, grabbing the menu.

“You’ve been here before?” The place is decorated tastefully in ivory walls, contrasted with dark wood tables, clothed soft rose coverings. Every table has a candle in the center, leading to the overall romantic, intimate ambiance, topped with soft classical versions of popular modern songs.

“With my dad, and grandmother. It’s not always catered to romance,” he tells her, offering to order for her if she’s not comfortable with ordering drinks, especially given the long list of wines in her hand, none that present prices, or even descriptions of the bottles.

“Not a big drinker,” she confesses. “Drink cheap wine we pick up at Tesco but that’s about it.”

“We’ll just get a pinot noir, nothing fancy,” he tells her, ordering just that when the server comes asking, and any food Rey wants goes on his tab. She ends up ordering the beef Wellington and he orders the bangers and mash, and she vows to steal a bite from his plate.

“You seem different today,” she conversates, treading carefully. “Are you feeling alright?”

“Off day,” he shrugs. “I get them occasionally. So, you work at a factory. I’m currently unemployed.”

Rey can’t stop herself from laughing, covering her mouth to try and hide the sound behind a cough. “Nice thing to say to a girl you’re trying to date.”

“Let me rephrase, I don't work for income. I work on nonprofits, like the group home, and I recently took over a company called First Order, when they’re former owner, Snoke, was indicted on embezzlement among other various charges.”

“First Order? I’ve heard of them! Weren’t they a front for a lot of illegal things? The news said they were a front for mafia.”

Ben nodded once, reaching over for her hand, looking to her for consent before drawing figure 8s against her palm. “They were. I’ve spent the last year working with authorities to comb through every little thing in their paperwork to find out what’s legitimate and what wasn’t.. The former CEO, Hux, has actually worked closely with me on it, but I’m thinking it’s because he’s hoping to buy me out of the company. My personal opinion, he doesn’t like working under someone.”

“Not a friend?”

“Frenemy is the most appropriate term. We get along well outside of work but during working days….It probably doesn’t bode well that one of the First Orders top executives, Phasma, is on my side when it comes to most things concerning the business aspects. Hux is not exactly pro-non-profit, or stamping the First Order’s name on puppies, kittens, and children. His father, Brendol, honestly makes my father look like a saint. It’s quite hard to get to the core of his own individual ideals and his father’s goals.”

“Office politics…” Rey scoffs and Ben gives her a half smile, threading their fingers to loosely hold her hand. Rey likes the way her hand feels in his, and all those feelings of the first time they met just one week ago comes rushing back. For such an intimidating man, he makes her feel so safe, like she could fall over and she’d never hit the ground, he’d always be there to catch her.

As the date progresses, it’s hard for Rey to not determine that this Ben was a very different one from the one she had coffee with. Tonight, he was more withdrawn, far off, in a state of dysphoria, he uses her hold on her hand almost like an anchor. Either way, he seems determined to get to know her, asking about her favorite books which she pointed out as Harry Potter and Ella Enchanted. “It’s not even the Cinderella story,” she defended. “It was one of the first books I read when I was a girl, so it always held this place in my heart. The idea of this young woman striking out on an adventure to cure herself, to fix herself of absolute control, and how she’s willing to sacrifice her own happiness for Char. I kind of related to that, because more than once I ran away, looking for my parents, thinking I couldn’t wait any longer for them to find me. Some nights I thought it would be okay that I was miserable, as long as they were happy.”

“We’ll talk family on the third date,” he tells her, reaching for a bite of her beef. “And how ridiculous they were to give you up.”

“If you get a third date,” she glares around her blush, moving her plate from his reach; futile, given his arms stretched longer than the Thames.

As it goes, Ben enjoys Harry Potter too, and tells her he’s never been able to decide if he’s a Slytherin or a Hufflepuff. “I’m ambitious, but I’ve been told I’m fiercely loyal to those I love, almost to a fault.”

“I think I’m Gryffindor, but Finn and Rose swear up and down I’m a Ravenclaw, but I do have the loyalties of a Hufflepuff, so I guess I’m just a melting pot of all the houses,” Rey tells him, smiling when he gives her a half smile. They continue to talk Harry Potter, till Ben is shaking his head at practically everything, she says, especially her insistence that Draco isn’t as bad as he seems. She’s adamant in his need for someone to be there for him, to be a shoulder to cry on, or arms to wrap around him.

“He was a little twat,” Ben tells her, and she slams her hand on the table, declaring there would be no third date. They can at least agree on Voldemort being absolutely bonkers. “But, I do get wanting to keep muggles and wizards separate when you think of the history muggles have had with knowing about magic. Not only that, there’d be a number of muggles that would readily abuse magic for own personal gain.”

“There are wizards that abuse magic for personal gain. It’s like, you can’t see the universe through one lense. The world isn’t black or white, it’s a mix of colors, more grey than anything. Like, sure Draco did some arsey things, but then so did Harry, and it’s all about perspective. One person may see Hermione as a genius, while another might see her as bothersome. Just like the Snape discord, it’s not like he’s a hero, but he’s not a villain, he just kind of does his own thing for his own reasons.”

“I feel like I’m more of a Snape. I can relate to a lot of his motives, personally. I don't think I would have cared about James Potter safety either as long as my Lily Potter was safe,” he admits; they decide to be Gryffindor and Slytherin to promote house unity.

Rey smiles, reaching over to take his hand again, letting their fingers thread together, sipping wine with her freehand. They spent the last thirty minutes talking over Harry Potter and that was a positive date in her mind; maybe next time would be Game of Thrones. “Think you earned more hand holding.”

He pulls her hand up, kissing her knuckles, peering just over the edges of her fingers when he says, “I'm Honored.”

Rey thinks it’s not proper to want to sleep with a guy on the second date. She opts for texting Rose under the table about the Harry Potter discussion, Rose sends back ten thumbs up, with a text that reads: He’s a keeper!

*

**Gracie Smith** @LadyofLochness          45m

Saw Prince Ben at @Club_Deeja. Was with GF and he walked right by! #Imshook #royalfamily #PrinceBen #ClubDeeja

 

**Jackson Reeves** @JJ_Beats         35m

Confirmed! Prince Ben was at @Club_Deeja! Prince Ben heard my classical mix! Crazy! #royalfamily #PrinceBen #JJBeats

 

**Annalise Vargas** @URSpanishPrincess           36m

@LadyofLochness U Lucky Bitch! Call me next time! #myfuturehusband #londontrip

 

**Elizabeth Wright** @LizzyLezzy89             37m

Umm….Who was he with? @Club_Deeja #PrinceBen #therealquestion #whoisshe

 

*

Date three is two weeks later, after Ben returns from a random trip to Spain, that Rey can’t believe he just does. She wants to ask who just goes to Spain, but doesn’t, especially considering his work with the First Order. It’s probably that the company has holdings there that take him away. At the very least, they text almost non-stop, which gives her time to actually miss him.

Their texts are so nonsensical that Rose is disappointed that Rey has nothing exciting--or rather, explicit--to share. There’s the usual daily greetings, the occasional picture of what their eating, selfies of Rey in tshirts, at work, or on the train. Selfies of Ben are usually in response, sitting at his desk covered in papers, in a rather lavish bedroom, and one of him shopping for souvenirs. They discuss waffles as a breakfast or lunch food. He texts her about what’s on TV, and gives her a play by play when Men in Black is on, and decides that they’re both quitting their jobs to track alien lifeforms on Earth; Rey is on board.

When he’s back in the country they decide on an intimate date at Rey’s place since Rose is with her sister, and Finn will be at the pub with Poe till late. She doesn’t put much thought into dinner, since the majority of her cooking involves just adding water, but she puts enough thought in it to order decent take out, and make it look home cooked; she even chills the wine before pouring it. There might have even been a candle she picked up for a bit of ambiance in the center of the table. If he asks, Poe put it there to seduce Finn, she did not have a hand in it’s placement.

She takes her time to answer the door when he comes calling, waiting a full twenty seconds before walking--pointedly not running, or speed walking--through their reception room to the front door, opening it slowly as to not seem to eager.

He’s standing on the other side, in another black button down, no sunglasses, but looking around as if someone is following him. “Hi,” she says shortly, hoping to pull his attention to her.

“Hi,” he returns, taking one step forward, crowding her, but not uncomfortably.

“Come in?” she offers, holding the door open enough to let him in before closing it, turning to rest her back against it, looking up at him. In movies, this would be the part where a girl would flutter her eyelashes, attempt to look alluring, waving a neon flag that said she was interested. Rey knows if she attempted anything like that he’d think she had something in her eye, so instead, she says, “Nice flight? I assume you fly from London to wherever you were in Spain.”

“Okay flight, got delayed,” he tells her, moving closer to her, placing his arm on the door above her head. He bends down to be more eye level with her, their noses a centimeter from touch, her breath catches in her throat. She’s never really noticed the color of his eyes in the whole month they’ve known each other. He’s either wearing sunglasses, or the lighting isn’t conducive to eye gazing. Right now, though, this close, she can see his eyes are dark brown, with little patches of hazel that make his eyes look like they’re dancing when he blinks. Chameleon eyes is the best word to describe them. Every time he blinks they seem to appear a different shade of brown, or maybe her mind is playing tricks on her. Either way, she can’t look away. She wants to fall into those eyes.

It’s hard to miss the way those eyes move from her own to her lips and back again, with all the subtlety of a skywriter, he’s nonverbally shouting his interest. Rey swallows, wetting her lips that suddenly feel horribly chapped, opening herself up to what he’s offering, because she does want it. She’d been thinking about it since Club Deeja. Now, they’re here, alone, with nothing standing in their way.

“It’s good to see you again, Rey,” he tells her, voice low, a whisper smoother than fresh margarine.

“You too, Ben, now that you’re not silently stalking behind me.”

“Yeah,” he breaths, closing his eyes, making to move away, to break their moment. She doesn’t give him the chance, instead, grabbing him by the collar, pulling him down till their lips meet in a quick exchange that had her strawberry red in seconds. When she releases him he’s staring down at her in pleasant surprise before taking the lifeline she’s offered, closing the gap between them again.

The fuse of their passion has been lit, and he seems to barely be holding on as he kisses her with all he has. Rey gives as good as she gets, wrapping her arms around his neck to keep him in place as their mouths open to each other, heads moving this way and that to keep in cadence with each other. Ben makes the first move to deepen the kiss further, sliding his tongue along her lips, into her mouth, curling it around her own with ease.

She moans her approval of his technique, shuddering as each stroke of his tongue prodes at the flames of her desire, stoking the fire deep in her belly. His hands go to her hips, inching her forwards till her body is flush against his, till she can feel the full state of his arousal. “God,” she gasps, when she breaks the exchange for air, immediately tilting her head for him as he makes quick work of her neck. He kisses from her pulse point up. Peppering along her jawline till she can find her lips again, and the kissing continues, as the rutting begins.

She’s sopping wet, uncomfortably so, inside her jeans, but she can’t bring herself to stop rubbing against him, chasing those pinpricks of pleasure each pass gives them. His mouth is talented, fueling her desire further as they battle for dominance in a way that tells her body that the sex would be amazing, and advises her lust addled brain to let go right this instant.

“Dinner is ready,” she gasps out, next time they break apart, trying to swim back to the surface of her own consciousness. To lasso in that errant lust that has her keening, mewling in please as he lifts her leg to his hip, intensifying the angle of their rut.

“What did you make?” He questions, hips starting to move at a snail's pace, attempting to drop ice on the situation they found themselves in. Rey attempts to gently extricate herself, trying to resist the urge to grab him again, reminding herself that Finn will be home at some point tonight, and they were meant to have a deep discussion tonight about family. Tonight, wasn’t meant to be about their lust driven passions, they were still trying to get to know each other.

She can practically see similar thoughts running across Ben’s face as he straightens himself out, trying to subtlety restitution himself inside his slacks. There’s a visible shadow that slides over him, a storm cloud over a summer day, and it’s like watching a television show on demolition as his eyes close, and she can see him mentally chastising himself for letting things get out of hand.

Rey reaches out, putting her hand to his cheek, startling him like a frightened cat. “So, third date…” she whispers, letting her thumb rub his lip, smiling when he kisses it gently.

“Not officially,” he jests, reaching up to take her hand, squeezing it like it’s his ever present rock, keeping him grounded.

She leads him through the reception room, over the wood floors, across the rug Finn picked out, allowing him to stop briefly to look at the pictures that line their home. There’s pictures from Halloween when she, Rose, and Finn went full Sanderson Sisters, there’s pictures of a picnic their group had just days after they’d secured the contract on this home, there’s even a picture of Rey decked out in paint covered coveralls while they’d worked on Finn’s room; this one seemed to be Ben’s favorite. “Food is getting cold,” she reminds, pulling him towards the dinning table where the candle has half burned away.

If Ben knows the pasta is take-out or the wine is Tesco, he doesn’t say anything, just simply takes his seat, offering his appreciation of the work she’s done. There’s still that cloud of doom over him, as if he expects the night to fall to pieces any moment. His body is braced for impact, she realizes when he says, “I guess this is the family conversation.”

“Well, you know I grew up at the group home,” she immediately launches, taking the lead to help him relax. She picks up her fork, urging him to do the same to give them an activity of distraction. “Camyll Kenobi kind of adopted me and gave me the Kenobi surname, unfortunately, she passed away before the adoption was legal. I think Ben is still alive, but I’ve never met him, and I only met Satine once before she died.”

“Ben passed a couple years ago,” Ben tells her, and she giggles because it had to be strange for Ben to talk about Ben growing up, and vice versa. She saws this sentiment with him and he snorts, confirming that it was a constant annoyance.

“I never knew my real parents, Maz told me they sold me for drinking money to a man named Unkar Plutt when I was five or six,” she continues. “That’s where Maz found me, brought me to Galactic city. Camyll said I had a lot of spirit, reminded her of her mother, so she took a shine to me. Camyll and Maz kind of raised me together, so I have this kinship with both of them. I went to school in Sutton, they helped me get into Oxford. Camyll passed when I was almost 18, two months shy, actually,” she twirled pasta around her fork, lifting the bite to her mouth. “When I got into Uni, that’s when my family changed. I met Finn the first day of school, he was running from some git of a man, and he grabbed my hand to get me out of the way. The rest was history there. We just became two peas in a pod, and he introduced me to Poe, who he’d also met, coincidentally running from the same guy.”

She took a sip of her wine, thinking of what else to share. “Rose was my roommate second year, I told you that, so that’s how her sister Paige came into the mix. She was just graduating, and wasn’t ready to become a working girl yet, that is until she got her dream internship at a fashion magazine she loves. She’s on the editing team now, so she’s always happy and that’s how she met Jessika, and brought her into our group of misfits. And Um..oh! Kaydel! Kaydel was actually Poe’s friend first, and she’s always felt like the odd man out, mainly because she had a thing for Poe, but Poe’s interest lie strictly elsewhere, namely Finn.

It was actually funny, for some time, watching Rose and Poe dance around Finn, because neither one of them would ask him out, and didn’t want to just say, Hey, who do you like? They both ended up actually kissing him and honestly, it was right hilarious.”

“You come from nothing, you are nothing,” Ben said, matter of factly, causing Rey to drop his fork in the middle of her reminiscence. He picked up his own, twirling his pasta expertly on a spoon. “But not to me.”

Rey blinked, shocked by his words, before she burst into a fit of giggles, startling Ben to drop his own fork. “You’re horrible at this!! Have you ever talked to a woman before?” She gasped through her laughter. She was practically wheezing, a stitch forming in her side as she doubled over.

“I wasn’t being funny,” he told her, voice clearly pouting, even if his face didn’t betray as much.

She reached over, taking his hand, lacing their fingers in that way she knew made him feel secure; made her feel safest. “You could just say you like me.”

“I’m bipolar,” he blurts out, as if tearing a bandaid from a wound, one long swipe. It’s painful for him to say out loud, he sees the way he cringes at the term; she falls silent. “That’s why I was discharged from the Air Force, despite my accomplishments as a pilot, I was to much of a liability to have in a cockpit. Last girl I took an interest in wasn’t interested in me after she found out. Nobody wants a broken toy.”

“I got chocolate cake for dessert,” she diverted, suppressing the urge to find said woman to smack her solidly across the face for baring to call Ben a toy, or broken, for that matter.

“I’m the opposite of you, Rey, I grew up in money with parents that I felt didn’t want me half the time. My father was always at races or rugby, or traveling back to the States whenever the fancy took him,” the floodgates were open, she could tell, he was bearing everything for her. “My mother’s main concern was politics, I saw my nanny more often than them. I’m the youngest of three children, my brother had issues with our parents too and fell into a bad crowd, wound up with this girl named Lumiya. My sister was so focused on helping him she often forgot I existed.

My grandfather encouraged his acting out, saying it was a healthy outlet for his anger and when I was in my teens I acted the same way. I was so angry all the time, because I couldn’t explain what was going on in my own head. One moment I was fine, happy even, and the next it felt like the world hated me, and I...wanted to end it all, just to stop the pain,” he shared, tightening his hold on her hand. It was almost painful, as if the bones under his grip would break, but she didn’t relinquish his hold.

“It got worse, even, after grandpa got sick, because I was close to him, and it felt like the world was taking away the only person who understood me. When he passed I clung to my brother; we got worse. He was my literal partner in crime. Joy riding, vandalism, stole money from our mom, it was like, all this pain suddenly didn’t seem so bad if I didn’t have to be Ben. I was being torn apart, and nobody seemed to understand. We took on these personas, these shells that we hid away under. He became Cadeus, I became Kylo Ren and I finally felt belonging until Lumiya came along,” he closed his eyes, the tears were so copious, she saw them well before they fell.

“My cousin, Ani, was the last person to see my brother alive. I was just about to turn 16 when he ran away to Berlin. He stole a car, and that night he wasn’t invincible, but he thought he was. I was so mad. Mad at him, mad at my father, mad at Ani just mad all the time. After I destroyed my dad’s prized sports car I joined the military. My parents agreed that it was good for me to have stability in my life, and focusing on something might help to balance me out. When I was 20 I almost killed myself and a copilot during a routine maneuver, and when I didn’t express regret….”

“They had you tested,” surmised Rey, using her free hand to urge him to lean against her shoulder. Dinner be damned if Ben wanted a shoulder to cry on, she wouldn’t move from this spot until he said what he needed to say. Clearly, there was a lot this man was keeping inside, she’d tease him later about it being overshare for a third date, when it wasn’t a festering wound.

“My grandfather was bipolar, they think, and maybe my brother was too, the psychologists they sent me to said BD is genetic. My sister says Jacen, my brother, use to act out sexually, and everyone wrote it off as being a playboy,” he scoffed, silently saying that if they’d paid attention they could have prevented all this suffering. “After I was diagnosed, they put me on lithium, olanzapine, among others. Regular therapy, a solid treatment, but it’s not a cure, and I get irate, I get tired, I get silent, and I have bad days. I’ve rebuilt myself these past ten years since I was diagnosed but I’m alone. My sister tries but I see the wariness in her eyes, my dad still treats me with kids gloves when he thinks I’m having a bad day, and my mom...my mom tries to keep me in busy work, hoping it’ll keep my mind busy. She’s very on board with everything I’ve done with the First Order. She feels like I’ve really rebuilt the foundation of the business.

Everyone treats me like a porcelain doll to be placed on a shelf, never played with. A broken toy.”

“You’re not alone,” Rey whispered into his hair, nuzzling him affectionately, trying not to cry for him, finding it hard. They’d both experienced hardships in their own ways, and now, she was determined for him to never live another hard day in his life, as long as they were together.

His arms wrapped around her waist, hugging into her side. “Neither are you.”

Later, Rey would lament their cold pasta, but right now, Ben needed her, and she had no intention of moving, for as long as he wanted her.

*

“I’m sorry, you just casually told me you’re going to Paris, like it’s a day trip,” Rey said, adjusting her phone as she collapsed back on her bed, groaning at how flat her pillow is. “Going with your mum?” She ignored Finn yelling up the stairs for her to get off the phone for movie night, followed by Rose making kissing noises, warning they’d become sexually suggestive if Rey didn’t hurry. They were going shopping first, and Finn had set them a specific schedule, they had to be back by exactly 18:00 to start a movie marathon of his choosing when they returned. Rey was currently encroaching on their very precise day off schedule with her phone call.

“And grandmother. Paris till Tuesday, Germany after that, and then a quick run to Japan, and I’ll be back in London before the end of the month for our fourth date.”

“Ah, a fourth date, after our last, I think we’re ready to be wed, Ben,” she teased, rolling over to look at the stuffed bear he’d bought her in Spain, gifted to her after they’d calmed down after their last date. He was black furred, wearing a little white t shirt that said Espana with Spain’s flag beneath it. She loved the little fluff, enough to give him permanent residence on her bed.

“I’m still surprised you’re not running for the hills,” he said earnestly, the awe in his voice a constant. A curse came through the received as something shook, the clink of something glass following. “Damn, dresser.”

“Are you kicking things?”

“It kicked me,” he groused. “I did promise to tell you how I’m famous next time.”

“That you did,” admittedly, Rey had completely forgot that he was some kind of celebrity. It was hard to reconcile her idea of Ben with some public image that the populace apparently held. “And I’m holding you to it, that way I don’t look like a total ponce next time a barista gawks at you.”

“We can meet at my place in Cambridge the Saturday I get back. You can bring an overnight bag and stay in my guest room, since I doubt you’ll want to take the trains all the way back to Mitcham after our date. We can go for a walk along the Thames? Maybe go to the London Eye, be horrible tourists for the weekend,” he planned, sounding hopeful.

Rey rolled again, slamming her face into the cotton of her pillow, words muffled, “Rose will endlessly take the piss out of me for that. Spending the weekend with you, she’s still needling me about our snog session.”

“Let her, I want to see you if I’m stuck with mom for three weeks. Where mom is my dad is likely to appear, which means my sister will show up, and probably my uncle and force me to have a family dinner.”

She flopped back to her back, staring at the ceiling. “What’s it like to have biological family that gives a damn about you?”

“When you meet them you’ll understand, I’m sorry ahead of time.”

“Meeting them am I?” She smiled, feeling her heart swell like an over inflated balloon threatening to burst straight out of her chest. “Is that the fifth date?”

“If you survive the fourth.”

“You mean if I allow you a fifth,” she teased, though they both knew where they were at in this relationship. They both knew they were dating, even if they hadn’t used the official term yet. Rey referred to him as ‘My Ben’ in her head, and she liked the way it sounded.

Rose yelled up the stairs again, telling her Finn was threatening to revolute soon if they didn’t leave for the station in the next five minutes. Paige and Jessika are already waiting, ready to spend money on things they probably didn’t need. “Hey, I really hate to hang up but girls are dragging me out the shopping center, and you have a flight to pack for.”

“Mmh,” he noncommittally hummed. “Find a sundress to meet my parents in. Something that says high tea with the queen.”

“Oh? I’ll dig into my collection of Crown Jewels while I’m at it,” she chuckled. “But if you want me in a sundress I’ll find a sundress with a hat, a large hat with a giant rose.”

“Thank you. I’ll text you when we get to Paris.”

“I appreciate it,” Rey told him, leaving them in an awkward silence neither knew how to fill. Eventually, they offered pitiful goodbyes before hanging up.

 

*

  
**Giselle Dubois** @Mrs.BenSolo26         2h

………….I. Am. Dead. Pic.twitter.com/GH7fi89v #royalfamily #princeben #icouldsmellhiscologne

 

**Louise Moreau** @Knights_of_Ben789          1h

@Mrs.BenSolo26 WHERE?! #royalfamily #princeben #KnightsofBen

 

**KOB_Offical_Paris** @KOB_official_Paris       1h

Breaking: Prince Ben is currently in Paris with Her Majesty Queen Amidala and HRH Princess of Wales Leia Organa Solo. #royalfamily #princeben

 

**Noah Blanc** @Here_for_Cash          45m

Seems royal family is taking lunch at Le Jules Verne. Never thought I’d be this close to royals. #royalfamily #walkedrightpastme

 

**Louise Moreau** @Knights_of_Ben789          30m

@Here_for_Cash Heading to Eiffel Tower now!!!! #royalfamily #princeben #myhusband

 

**KOB_Offical_Paris** @KOB_official_Paris            15m

Security is in place to discourage loitering. Please keep a respectable distance. #royalfamily #princeben #berespectful

 

*

“So, when do we actually get to meet this guy?” Rose asks as they wandered down the street, peering into windows. Paige and Jessika’s arms were layden with bags, having caught a shoe sale that was too good to pass up, Rey had even indulged, snatching up a pair of red and white slip ons for when she didn’t want to take the time to find real shoes. Kaydel, who joined them later, already had two bags, one holding a leather jacket she couldn’t pass up on. Rose had bought stuff for the kitchen, practical things that would drive Finn mad when he saw the patterns.

Rey had yet to find a sundress, but she told her friends Ben had asked her to pick out something appropriate for tea with the queen, leading to Rose asking after introductions.

“Soon? I’m meeting his parents for our fifth date, so I guess the sixth date would be meeting you lot. We have this weird latter system,” Rey told them, shaking her head when they stopped at an lingerie store, decidedly not wardrobe fit to see the queen. “The Saturday after next is our first overnight kind of date with each other.”

“You’ve been dating how long now?” Jessika asked, balking when Rey told them their first date was just over a month ago. Kaydel nudged Jessika aside, reminding her not everyone moved as fast as she did, encouraging Rey to take things at her own pace. A pace Paige was determined to ignore as she grabbed her arm to pull her inside the intimates store.

“What’s his favorite color?”

“Red, but I’m not going to wear anything in here. We’ve barely snogged, the idea of sex is no where near the table,” she lied, not wanting them to know how close she actually came to sleeping with him that cold pasta night.

“It can be on the table while being off the table,” Paige pointedly told her, holding up a halter piece before wrinkling her nose at it, returning it to the rack. The older woman turned to a rack of blues, favoring a peacock looking piece that she promptly found in her own size to try on.

“He’s having you meet his parents, sounds pretty serious,” Kaydel called from behind a rack of pleated skirts that were no longer skirts, put strips of fabric that didn’t extend past the arse. A sales associate came over to see if they needed help, and all four girls, traitors as they are, directed her towards Rey who kind of stood there awkwardly among the alluring sheer materials.

“If I have to choose something,” Rey concedes when the woman asks her tastes. “Something, simple? Tasteful? I don’t want cutouts or anything like that.” The woman beemed as if she had the perfect idea, leading Rey over to a rack of white garbs that had her friends wolf-whistling at the virginal affiliation of the color. She pulled a hanger off the rack, holding it up for Rey to examine. It was a baby doll, sheer, with lace at the end, and a modesty piece uptop that appeared to cover just past the nipple. There was an accompanying thong, but she couldn’t see past the bow under the breast, that made the whole thing look adorable, but sexy, that perfect balance she was looking for.

“That’s cute,” Kaydel encouraged. Rey agreed. She accepted the item from the sales woman, eyes pulled to a rack of black garments, or specifically the one in front that was a lace bra top with panels of ruffle lined sheer, paired with a lace boy short that she imagined Ben going wild for.

Rey grabbed it from the rack.

*

Jessika choose Little Black Dress for Rey’s sundress, proclaiming the best boutique in Soho to find a dress that personified afternoon tea with the queen. Women of all ages were looking around on the busy Saturday, commenting on the dresses, holding them up to their forms, imaging themselves in them. Jessika went straight for a light pink fitted dress on a mannequin, declaring it would work great for Rey’s complexion and held it up to her. Rey’s first thought was to look at the tag that named the dress a blush color with a price tag of 419; she baulked. “Jess, I’m not meeting the actual Queen of England, it’s just a nice date, with my...Ben, and his parents.”

Always the fashionista, Jessika rolled her eyes, carting Paige off to find something more affordable. Kaydel wandered off, sidetracked by wedding dresses, leaving Rose to amble along beside Rey, combing through the racks for something that wasn’t absolutely ugly to their common, not fashion forward, eye. Rose makes a face at a pink dress that has an entire sleeve made of ruffles. They giggle to each other when someone else exclaims that it’s the dress of her dream. They’re both out of their element, but they’re making the best of it.

Deep into a rack of miscellaneous blue fabrics, Rose pulls a dress out, sleeves, straight down skirt with a top layer that’s gently ruffled. “Oh, I like that,” Jessika tells them, holding a couple of choices of her own. “Pencil skirt, peplum drape skirt, that would look great on you, Rey.”

She shows Rey a vintage inspired flapper dress in purple. Paige found a navy dress on the sale rack that has a sheer back with sequin embroidered flowers around the top. All three are less than 100 pounds which Rey can appreciate, and she agrees to try on all three.

*

She barely gets the door kicked closed before she’s running up stairs, discarding her shoes as she goes. Like a kid in a theme park, she barrells through her bedroom door, kicking her shoes off, tossing her keys down with her bag onto her desk, diving for her laptop. She got’s no time to change out of her work clothes as she pulls open the device, awaking it out of hibernation, bouncing her leg as it booted up.

Once turned on, she clicked on Skype, startling when it starts to ring almost immediately, trying to control her cheshire like grin when Ben’s name pops up.“I wish I was back home. I’d rather be with you right now, then working with my family,” is the first thing he says when she accepts his call.

“That bad? Paris sounded awful. The Eiffel Tower, the Louvre, the catacombs, sounds dreadful. As I relayed your expedition to Germany to my work friends they all expressed how horrible your time away sounds. I’m sure you’d much rather be here, in my dingy townhome about to binge American Horror Story on Netflix.”

“Actually, that sounds great,” he sighed, looking around the room behind him. “I didn’t get a chance to tell you, but my father showed up, just in time to make the 11 hour flight with us to Tokyo, and he sat next to me.”

Rey offered him a sympathetic smile. “Not fun?”

“I….don’t find my dad in small doses, but I haven’t seen him since you and I became, you and I,” he told her, and suddenly it clicked. “He had words, opinions, prying questions..”

“Best to get it out of the way now?”

“Put me a bit on edge,” he tells her, shifting in view of the camera to lay on the bed; it’s dark behind him.

“What time is it there?”

“Almost 3 am,” he replied, reaching over, likely to grab the hotel clock for verification. “We landed after midnight, and spent thirty minutes arguing as my sister insisted we take a train into the city instead of a car. My niece has already demanded we take her to a theme park after work, so that’s what my day is looking like.”

“And how are you feeling? 1-10?”

“Right now?” he questioned, and she nodded. “About a five. Tired, mostly, I should be better after I get some sleep. I just really wanted to talk to you before I did. We haven’t been able to skype in 3 days. Talking to you really helps to mellow me out.”

“That’s what I’m here for,” she beamed, looking over her shoulder at Finn yelling her name. “I got to go, but text me, okay? When you wake up, so I know you’re okay. If you want, I can obnoxiously text you every little thing that’s happening in this show so you have something to reply to.”

“I’ll hold you to that,” he grinned, a half cocked thing that told her he was trying but his body was starting to fight him. “...goodnight, Rey.”

“Goodnight, Ben,” she replied, reluctantly hanging up the call, placing her hand to her heart at the sharp pang of loose. She really couldn’t wait to see him.

*

“Did you see the picture of Prince Ben with Princess Emilyn at Sanrio Puroland? I swear, the royals are to cute,” Rose cooed, stopping Rey’s stirring in her tracks. Her mind was elsewhere this morning, focused on her night with Ben that started at exactly 17:00, which was nine whole hours away. She’d practically bolted out of work yesterday when he finished the last of the data checking, Eliza had teased her that her Ben must be something to get Rey to run out of work so fast. The only time Rey left in such a flurry is when she hurried to Galactic City on Wednesdays, her normal half days.

She’d been imaging their reunion in vivid detail till she heard Rose spout that sentence, and Paige’s concurrence had her looking up as the girls discussed the royal family’s instagram account, joined seconds later by Jessika who arrived with her muffin and tea, voraciously diving into the conversation. Rey wasn’t a social media user herself, in general she didn’t follow much of anything with royals or celebrities. When she walked past the news stand in the morning she would grab a paper with the occasional story on Queen Amidala, but beyond that, she never gave them much thought. Most of her ‘keeping up with the world’ happened through miscellaneous articles on Yahoo with their clickbait titles, or the Huffington Post. Despite Finn’s insistence that she get a twitter and an instagram, she’d never really fell into the vicious circle of life sharing. Though, admittedly, she was on a fair share of forums pertaining to engineering and the occasional street bike race. Fixing bikes was a past time she just never seemed to have time for anymore.

Normally, she tuned them out when they discussed the various aspects of their virtual lives. What gave her pause now was the name Ben, and Tokyo, and the fact that her Ben had been in Japan, with his sister, and niece, and spent a half day covered in pink; she knew, she had pictures. One picture had features his seven year old brunette niece, holding up a hello kitty shaped donut, the biggest smile on her face as she posed with the confection.

“Twitter has been broken for days since the picture of Prince Ben with Hello Kitty surfaced,” Jessika told them. “My boss has been losing her mind over the fact that we don’t have an exclusive on what clothing the royal family wore in their parking going expedition.”

“Should have moved up to ten with me, doing the print version of the magazine is so much less stressful,” Paige told her, sipping her coffee. Jessika narrowed her eyes on her, making a snipe about how it would look if she moved to the same floor as her ex-girlfriend.

“Besides, I like social media being my job.”

“Except when you don’t know what the royals are wearing to Sanrio Puroland,” Rose teased, and they broke out laughing, all except Rey whose hand was shaking on her phone, not wanting to look at the pictures Ben had sent her. Not wanting to destroy the image of the man who’d spent a solid ten minutes replying to every American Horror Story text she’d sent, examining her psychology for watching the show.

Her Ben couldn’t be a prince, let alone a Prince of England, where she currently lived. “Coincidence,” she decided.

Coincidence, she told herself. It was all one giant coincidence.

*

It’s nearly two hours to Cambridge from Mitcham, that’s what she tells herself when she opens google on her phone, she needs something to keep her mind busy. She’s been running around the maypole all morning since breakfast with the girls. The topic had, thankfully, changed after they all agreed Ben was the most attractive man in the royal family, ranking him over his father by just a half point. Rey didn’t bring up her suspicions, her worries of her Ben to them, and stayed quiet most of the morning until Jessika and Paige broke away to go shopping at the WhiteChapel street market. Rose pulls her away to jump a short train ride to The Entertainer, and they walk away with a brand new Jenga game to write dares on for their next game night.

She promises to text both Finn and Rose when she gets to Cambridge before she leaves.

To be fair, she waits till she’s made the transfer at Kings Cross to Cambridge, she finds a seat on the Thameslink and sits in her bubble of anxiety, waiting till they pass through Hitchin to actually open google.

She types in Queen Amidala first, finding results for her marriage, and the death of her husband, Anakin. There’s articles about her work with the French government, and agreements in America, a visit to the Japanese embassy, and further deals with the UN on trades. Most of it goes over Rey’s head, so she sticks to the fluff pieces, like the birth of the Queen’s twins, Luke and Leia. There’s pictures of the woman that Rey has seen several times before, younger, older, and everywhere in between. A picture of her, hair down, dotted with flowers, has Rey smiling. She looks like any other mother, sitting in her blue dress, one child in each arm, and she looks at them with love in her eyes. The picture is a birth announcement for the new prince and princess in TIME magazine circa 1966.

A related article details how Luke was being groomed by his father to take the Kingship while Leia had been favored by Prime Minister Organa. There’s a cute picture of the twins 16th birthday party in 1982 at Buckingham Palace. Luke has his arms wrapped around his sister, and they’re laughing, looking to be doing something decidedly not royally proper; it’s endearing.She finds more pictures of Leia, Luke, and their parents in google images. The set of twins smiling at a camera, all wide toothless smiles as they hang off their mother, ever dressed in her sunday best. There’s pictures of the twins when their older, Leia dressed similarly to her mother, while Luke seems to go for more casual dress, favoring loose pants and loose shirts.

During a time of political unrest in the mid 80s, Leia had actually been temporarily adopted by the Organas to keep her safe from the King’s enemies. After the death of Bail Organa’s wife, Breha, Leia honored them by taking their surname, extending them a line in the direct succession. This was met with much protest from several members of parliament who stated firmly that Leia should carry the Skywalker name only. Leia would go on to enrage them further by taking the married name Organa Solo after marrying her husband Han Solo, fully removing Skywalker from her title with her mother’s approval. On top of that, she became pregnant at just 17, giving birth to a set of twins who are pictured in fluffy white outfits. They’re named Jaina and Jacen, and Rey’s stomach drops in a way that has nothing to do with the rocking of the train.

Further googling tells her Luke has a son named Anakin, named after Luke’s father. Leia has a third child just three years after her first two, a boy, Ben. Ben is the middle of the four cousins, with Anakin being the youngest, and she googles the Princes. The top article drops her heart down to her stomach which is already making its way to her toes.She’s not sure how many more organs can plummet into the floor.

_HRH Prince Jacen dies tragically in car accident outside Berlin._

She’s reminded excruciatingly of the story Ben had relayed to her about his own brother, not so coincidentally, named Jacen; she can’t bring herself to click on the article.

However, she does find enough fortitude to type in ‘Prince Ben Solo’ into google, taking a stealing breath before hitting images.

She almost forgets her bag when they arrive in Cambridge. Her rage carries her to the Great Northern to go the six minutes to Cambridge North station. According to the directions, she’ll have another twenty minutes to seethe as she walks to his home.

With the search in hand she practically stomps to his home--its a ridiculously large home, and betrays what she’s already learned--banging on the door till he answers, looking completely normal in a touristic t shirt from Japan and jeans with no shoes. She has no words for him as she shoves her phone at him, glaring him down, hoping he feels as small as she feels mortified, her death glare dares him to fabricate an excuse. “You’re a prince.”

“I’m a prince,” he repeats, and she pulls the door closed in his face; a silent slap to the face.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you everyone for all the lovely comments it inspired me to edit this chapter almost immediately so Fast update! I have this story close to 75% completely written, now it's just editing chapters and polishing them up. So hopefully updates will continue quickly!

“Rey, I have your phone,” he says through the door, not making a move to open it.

“Did you find it funny? My ignorance? The fact I didn’t know you’re the bloody Prince of Wales,” she says through the door, wiping at her angry tears that were starting to form. Punching something, the door, preferably felt like a wonderful idea. She opts for dropping her overnight bag, kicking it firmly to release some of her anger.

“I’m not actually the Prince of Wales, my dad is. I’m just a Prince, Duke of Cambridge. My mother is Princess of Wales Leia Organa Solo, Duchess of Cornwall.”

She pushes the door open, a thin sliver, enough to poke her head around the corner to narrow her eyes on him. She hopes he feels like a thousand daggers are being thrown at him from her gaze. “So, you’re not directly in line to be King? Or how does that work?”

“My mother is the director successor to the throne. My uncle abdicated, so when my grandmother passes, my mother becomes Queen, and I become Prince of Wales.”

“Isn’t your sister older than you?”

“Male heirs come first in the line of succession. Had he not passed, Jacen would have been before me and had Uncle Luke not abdicated, then Anakin would have been before Jacen. Things happen, and as it stands I’m second in line for the throne,” he explains, holding her phone out.

She slides inside his home, closing the door, snatching the phone back as she bars the exit, before she remembers her back on the ground. “Don’t move,” she orders, opening the door long enough to yank the thing inside, kicking it under a table in his lobby. She closes the do, returning to her position of blocking it, looking around the small space their in, with stairs that lead up and down into the large expansion of the home. “So, do you even live here or is it just a stage house? So I wouldn’t realize you’re a prince because this place is kind of lavish.”

“I actually live here. I lived at Clarence House with my family till Jaina got married, then I moved here. Mom was not amused, but it was my decision. My grandmother helped pick this place out. I didn’t think I needed five bedrooms, but she thought I need space for mom and dad and Jaina to visit,” he told her. “If you’re curious, this was the information I was planning to share tonight.”

Rey snorted, eyes widening when something occurred to her. “You weren’t joking about high tea with the queen, were you?”

He shook his head to the negative, lips turned down in a frown. “Grandmother is hosting a high tea, just family, mainly because Anakin saw my phone and told them I was texting a girl, and i mentioned you to my mother. Everyone wants to meet you, my father, in particular, thinks I’m making you up, a point he made clear on those 11 hours I sat next to him.”

“You want me to come have tea with the Queen of the whole bloody country?! Princes? Princesses? Dukes? Lords? And whomever else?!” she exclaims, breath coming out in short stilted breaths. She’s only had a panic attack maybe twice in her life, she doesn’t remember exactly what they feel like, but she’s pretty sure this is it. She struggles to get a breath out past the lump in her lungs, laughing jauntily at her for daring to want to breath. His hand goes to her back, rubbing in small concise circles.

“No,” he rebutts. “I want you to come have tea with my grandmother, my mom, my dad, my uncle, my bothersome cousin, and my sister, and her daughter, who will talk your ear off.”

“Right, just tea with your family. Your royal family,” she emphasized, poking him in the chest to get her point across.

“Essentially just a family, which I hope you’ll see if you agree to meet them.”

“Wait!” she exclaimed, voice rising, hand smacking his shoulder. “Did you ask me out because I didn’t realize you’re the damn Prince?” She raised her hand, poised to slap him if he made some patronizing comment about being out of the loop as to not having realized it was him.

He smirked, grabbing her hand, kissing the palm. “Actually, sweetheart, that’s exactly why I asked you out. I continued dating you because you’re a rather amazing person, who wanted me, for me.”

She flushed temperature rising till her face was boiling with heat. “Well, you’re a right git, crown or not.”

“That mean you’re ending things?” his hand snaked around her waist, grin widening as if he knew she wouldn’t leave him because she had feelings for him, and really a title didn’t change who Ben was inside; a lowdown, sneaky Slytherin.

She elbowed him moving away when he ‘oomphed’, grabbing her bag and looking from the down staircase to the up one. “Which way is the living room? Then we can discuss you earning another date.”

“That I can do,” he told her, hurrying over to wrap her up from behind, nuzzling her hair for just a moment before leading her up the half staircase to the landing beyond.

Royal or not, this man was still her Ben.

*

“We could watch The Crown, that’s about your grandmother, isn’t it?” Rey suggested, shivering under the slow stroke of his fingers, shimmying till she was more comfortable against his chest. His couch was large, he was larger, there was some finagling going on when he had one leg up behind her, one on the ground, and she laid there against him, unwilling to let him move.

“Trust me, I’ve heard the stories,” he mumbled, kissing her head, reaching for the remote. She held it out of his reach, tsking in disappointment at him.

“Woman is controlling the remote! Why is there royal wedding play by plays for your mum, and your sister but not your grandmother?” she asked, scrolling through the comedy movie options, wrinkling her nose in distaste at most of the options. The other options were all movies she’d seen more times than likely considered healthy, and thing she didn’t need to subject him to just two months into their relationship.

“My grandparents eloped, it was quite the scandal at the time,” he told her, looking up when the doorbell rang. “That would be the pizza.”

She turned to him with a pout, moving to get up when he pulled her back down, the door opening. “Does the pizza have legs?”

“No, but Mitaka does,” he explained as the short, sharp dressed man entered the room, pizza in hand, placing it on the table in front of them. Rey would guess the man was military from the way he walked, very straight backed and stiff leg. “Mitaka, this is Rey. Rey, this is Mitaka, one of my personal guards.”

“It’s nice to finally meet you,” he greeted. “I’ve only seen you from afar,” he winked, a hint of a smile pulling at his lips, as if he weren’t sure it was okay to actual show emotion to her.

“Just when things started to feel normal, your personal guard delivers us pizza,” Rey exclaimed, Ben waving Mitaka towards the kitchen, asking for drinks, while Rey practically turned herself to her stomach to stare him down. Ben kissed her nose, and she crinkled it. “Is he always following you? If he is, how did you take a train all the way to Sutton alone?”

“Unfortunately, I didn’t. They caught up to me in Kings Cross, and sat in the adjacent car. He was walking behind me all the to Galactic City. You were probably to focused on my rugged handsome face to notice, sweetheart,” he smirked, groaning when she elbowed him in the stomach before plopping back around, laying against him back to chest.

“For that, you’re now watching Gilmore Girls,” she declared, picking the dramedy and tossing the remote out of his reach as the opening scene played.

Mitaka brought back their drinks, waving Rey off when she said she’d pour them herself. “It’s my job, Miss Rey, honestly, it pays the bills.”

“I can understand that,” she agreed, accepting a plate with two slices, smacking Ben’s hand away when he attempted to steal her toppings. “That’s what I tell myself everyday when I’m at work. Our place is around two thousand pounds a month, but between three people it’s not so bad, and I guess if all you’re doing is delivering pizza and pouring drinks then it’s not a bad day.”

Mitaka smiled, handing her a soda before pouring Ben’s. “Not at all, Miss, especially given the Prince’s past perchance for trouble.”

“That will be all, Mitaka,” he groused, and Rey didn’t have to look to feel the death glare he sent the man. The stare alone probably could have choked the man with will and force.

Mitaka gave a short bow. “If you should require anything else,” he told them, before exiting, leaving them to their Netflix, while Rey sang along to the intro song.

“Mitaka has been my personal guard since my teens, he was around during my troubled times. Explaining to police who I was, getting me out of trouble before my parents had to.”

“When you were Kylo Ren?”

“When I was Kylo Ren,” he confirmed, grabbing another slice of pizza, unhappy with the two he was dealt, turning to look at the television. “This show is so asinine.”

She laughed, reaching back to pluck a pepperoni off his pizza. “Suffer, Ben, this is your punishment, and you will like it.”

He didn’t like it, only half way through the second episode he pleaded with her to put something different on, so she chose Friends, as that and The Office were her go to when she was too lazy to continue searching for quality viewing. Ben seemed to relax once something involving the first class elite wasn’t on the screen, and delighted in the antics of twenty-somethings living in New York.

“If I had a choice, I wouldn’t be living on my own this young,” Rey tells him, tilting her head back to look at him. “How about you?”

“I didn’t really have a choice. I was living with my parents till I moved out, but really I should still be living with them, until I get married,” he told her, kissing her forehead, he was so affectionate tonight it was ridiculous. She liked it. “However, I doubt the average twenty-something in New York can afford to live in Manhattan on their own. Especially if they’re an unemployed actor.”

“Hey! He was Dr. Drake Ramoray on Days of Our Lives.”

“Mmhm,” he hummed, kissing her cheek, his fingers stroking up and down her arm.

“You don’t really care about the show, do you?” she questioned, taking the hand that wasn’t stroking her arm into her own, threading their fingers. Instinct had him tightening his fingers around her own, using his arm to pull her closer. Ben made a noise to the negative, nuzzling her hair.

“I care about you, so if you want to watch it, we’ll watch it. Eventually, though, I’d like to show you your gifts.”

“Mmh, getting better at the talking to girls thing,” she complimented, before, “you got me gifts?”

“I did,” he confirmed. “I’m happy you stayed, I was afraid you would end this when you found out about my title. But you’ve stayed, despite my past, despite my condition, despite my life, you’ve stayed.”

She turned, laying her chin on his chest, looking up at him, fluttering her eyelashes at him till he snorted. She thinks neither eye closes at the same time, making it look like a wonky wink than an actual flirtatious flutter. “Can’t judge the hand you're dealt, you just have to play it.”

“You have hazel in your eyes,” Ben whispers, using those long fingers of his to guide her chin up enough to kiss her. “You’re to good for me.”

“It’s what I’ve been trying to tell you,” she teased, pecking his lips again, before turning a stern line of her lips in him. “You know you’re amazing, right?”

“Do you want to go to my room?” He asks, not commenting on her comment. “Please,” he added, a tremble to his lip, as if he were unsure she’d say yes.

She sat up, reaching for her bag, getting up from the couch, holding it to her chest. “I have a gift for you too, so lead the way.”

*  
Rey steps out of the bathroom in the white lace number, awkwardly moving forward for him to see. Ben’s first response is to sit a bit taller, and she hears his breath catch as he eyes her like a man seeing his first meal after being stranded in the dessert. It lends her a bit more confidence in the wardrobe choice, and she strides towards him till she’s standing in front of him where he sits on the edge of his massive bed.

He reaches out, placing his hands on her hips, guiding her forward till she’s straddling his lap, one knee on each side of his own hips. “God…”

“You like it?” she asks, looking down at his hand that has begun to caress the smooth sheer material.

“...you look amazing,” he whispers, pressing forward to kiss her, not even sparing a moment for hesitancy, but assaulting her with the full brunt of his passion, which she eagerly returns, giving him for than she gets. Her arms wrap around his neck, fingers finding their way into his hair, tugging to get him closer as their tongues tango for dominance neither one wants to relinquish.

She settles onto his lap, feeling how full at attention he really is. She finds it empowering to know that the simple act of wearing a lace nightie has turned him on so fully. It’s her body, plain, scarred, flat chested as it is that has him in this state, canting his hips upwards to have more of her. He takes initiative, pulling her top down to free her right breast to palm it, massaging it under the grip of his hand, running his thumb over her nipple till she’s bucking in his lap from the shocks of pleasure. Each one is a tiny thing, a jolt from her brain, but he’s relentless in his torture, bringing jolt after jolt till she can’t focus on kissing him anymore.

She breaks away, pressing her forehead to his shoulder as he works her nipple. Mouth free, he takes the opportunity to crane his body downward, capturing the neglected breast in his mouth, using his skilled tongue to flit it across the bud in quick successive licks, rapid like the bat of a hummingbird’s wings.

They’ve gone from zero to sixty in less than a second, but her brain is telling her not to care. Her brain is telling her to go for the condoms she packed and get to the main show; foreplay be damned. “Condoms..my bag..” she gasps out, trying to shimmy away, only for him to halt her, reaching behind himself blindly.

“Got them,” he said against her skin, holding up the box of Durex, a 20 count she noted, which increased the moisture between her thighs. The thought he planned ahead, and the twenties potential times they could do it turned on her on more, and she went for his shirt, a desperate struggle somewhere between trying to lift his shirt, and just tear it off in one Hulk like rip.

Ben did the work for her, sliding back enough to pull the shirt over his head, tossing it to the floor revealing the solid body underneath. Rey can honestly say she’s never objectified a man as hard as she is Ben at this moment. Her hands move with a mind of their own, running over his abs, up his pecs, awing at the endless planes of his body. She couldn’t even consider him having a six pack, but something closer to an eight, completely fit.

Rey went for his pants next, cursing when his hand stopped her. “You come first,” he clarifies, flipping them over so she’s underneath him. She watches him descended lower and lower till she’s lost in her own mind, eyes closing as he sets to work playing her body like a properly strung harp each pass of his tongue a pluck across the precise note of her ecstacy.

She says things during his ministrations that she’s surprised to hear come out of her mouth, but flow they do in colorful expletives that's him eagerly lapping up everything her body has to offer. “Next time, I’m returning the favor,” she tells him as he crawls up her body. Her hand forces it’s way between them, getting to his fastening, opening his pants, enabling her to feel the full length of him.

Ben closed his eyes, groaning, beginning the workings of a shimmy to get out of his pants. “Don’t,” Rey halted him. “Leave them on.”

It takes a matter of seconds, dragged out far to long for her lust addled brain. He fumbled with the condom wrapper as she struggled to get him out of his briefs, desperate to feel him skin on skin; she’s not disappointed. Rey wraps her hand around him, jerking him gently as he drops the condom, cursing at her in a fidgety sort of way. “Can’t concentrate with you doing that,” he told her, resuming his attempts to get the protection open.

“You’re so big,” she compliments in legitimate awe of the length of him, the girth that was guaranteed to touch everywhere inside her.

“Not helping,” he gritted out through grinded teeth. She ceases her caress long enough for him to successfully pull the clear contraceptive out, removing her hand to allow him to roll it on. Her hand covers his, following his own down, letting her fingers glide away.

When he enters her she cries from the rush of emotions that over take her. There’s a sting from the stretch, but it’s the feeling of belonging, of ownership, of love that wraps her tight that has her tearing up through his kiss as they couple.

“You’re so beautiful, so perfect,” Ben tells her, nipping her ear as he rolls his hips into her. “Mine, all mine.”

Her fingers thread into his hair, holding him close, closing her eyes enjoying the slow cadence of their hip, whimpering when he gradually picked up pace. A bit faster, a bit more aroused as Rey repeats his sentiments, petting his hair, whispering, “My Ben..you’re mine..”

With one mewling obscenity, their movements become frenzied, chasing their euphoria in each other’s bodies, with guttural cries, and repeated use of the expletive fuck. Every word pushes Rey closer and closer to her second orgasm, her body lain out for him to take as he wants.

“H-Harder,” she pants, moving her hips against his, forceful in her rutting, wanting every inch of him deeper inside her. One hand moves to his still clothed covered arse, grasping him, pulling him closer, signifying he can take more, give her more. He moans in her ear, obliging, moving hard enough into her to almost be considered brutal, the blankets bunch under them uncomfortably, sticking to her skin with the sweat of their coupling.

“Going to cum,” he growls in her ear, thrusting becoming erratic. Rey nods in concurrence closing her eyes, hugging him closer, squeezing as they reach the end together.

“Inside, cum inside..” A spark in her mind, a playful fairy of a thought, wonders why they bothered with a condom, why she wasn’t taking his seed, it makes the most sense at the moment. All she can think is how warm it would feel to be filled with all of him.

The sound of him morning in orgasm is what sends her over the edge, her body convulsing against him, her arms tight around him, holding Ben close as he repeats her name in her ear as their muscles begin to relax after the near heartstopping bliss of their intercourse.

“10 minute break then we do that again?” Rey breathed out, staring up at the ceiling of his room as her breath evened, heart gradually receding from her ears back into her chest. Ben rolls off of her, pulling out to take care of the soiled condom.

Ben chuckles from his spot beside her. “10 minutes then we do that again.

*

She had sex.

She had sex with her Ben. Her Ben who is a Prince Of England.

She had sex, _twice_ , with a Prince who she currently snuggled against like a koala with a branch on a Sunday morning while someone made them breakfast in the kitchen.

She had sex with a Prince, who was a very generous lover, and more importantly she had sex with her Ben, a man that she felt was hers, wholly and fully, the act of intercourse solidifying that, It wasn’t a Prince that pressed his forehead to hers during the act, or whispered sweet nonsense in her ears after, it was Ben. Her Ben that made butterflies flutter from the tips of her toes to the top of her throat, circling in her stomach, making her never wanting the feeling to end. She clings to it desperately as she clings to him, not wanting to forget this feeling of belonging. It’s not the first time she’s had sex, but it feels like the first time it really mattered, really counted for something.

“I can hear you thinking,” he grumbles, tightening his hold around her shoulders, his body and the blankets acting as a cocoon around her smaller frame.

“You’re a Prince,” she told him, and he went stock still. “But to me, you’re Ben Solo, horrible at talking to girls, a Slytherin through and through, fan of Robin Hood, and you’ve never seen Games of Thrones. I don't want you to ever feel alone when we’re together, so…”

“So I get that fifth date?”

“You can have a fifth date, and a sixth even,” she informs him, pressing her lips to his, using all her strength to urge him on top of her. “How about first breakfast before second breakfast?” She offered, reaching for a foil package from his nightstand, showing it to him as she deliberately, tantalizing, ripped it open with her teeth.

He snatched the little roll of latex from her, quickly rolling it on to allow them indulgence in a breakfast appetizer.

*

They go to walk the Thames together, after breakfast, taking the Great Northern despite Mitaka’s insistence they just use a personal driver. They end up losing him in the transfer to Overground Victoria, he sends them a series of very irate texts, making sure they understand they should wait for him at Victoria Station.

Rey sports khaki capris and a souvenir shirt from Germany that Ben bought her. It’s a corny looking thing that declares Germany at the bottom and Deutschland at the top, the center is a circle of crests that she’s not familiar with; she loves it because he bought and dones it proudly. He also bought her a pair of sunglasses in Paris—she doesn’t ask their costs—and wears them to block the sun from her eyes, unlike Ben who wears them as a sorry disguise. He’s one trench coat away from being an over the top fifties era private eye. Luckily, he blends in just as well as she does, wearing jeans and a band tee-shirt that makes them disappear within the other morning commuters.

They walk across Albert Bridge together, hand in hand, enjoying the mid morning peace in silence, content with each other’s company. They make it to the entrance of the park, choosing the path to the left, staying close to the water but giving Rey absolutely breathtaking views of the foliage, the mighty oak trees and the weeping willows along the river. It smells wonderful, in ways that she can’t describe, but make her want to lay down and nap right on the path; the few joggers that pass them might find it a hinderance.

There’s people walking their dogs, and older couples just keeping up their spirits. Bike riders zoom by and the occasional child wails about wanting to go to the zoo. Rey thinks she could walk this path everyday and never get bored. “I think I could stay here forever,” she tells him, and he pulls her to the side, out of way of foot traffic.

She turns her head to him, bewilderment clouding her mind, cleared when he pulls his phone out, bringing up the camera. “Are you asking me to take a selfie?” she teases, and he doesn’t answer, just aims and shoots, twice, till he’s happy with the two of them standing amongst the green burrough, Rey’s smile bright and full of life, contrasted by his half grin, that could be considered a grimace to the discerning eye.

They continue their walk, stopping briefly at the Peace Pagoda for Rey to take a picture to send to Rose. “I was thinking we could do a Lunch cruise,” Ben tells her, after the Pagoda begins to fade behind them.

“A lunch cruise? Can honestly say I’ve never done that,” she tells him.

“They do one from Tower Pier, if we leave from here we can make the 11:45 lunch cruise down the Thames, if you’d like,” he tells her, always leaving it open for her to say yes or no.

She turns to him, stepping up onto tiptoe to kiss him firmly on the lips, “You’re amazing, Ben Solo.”

He looks shocked for a moment, a deer in headlights, before looking down at her. “Is that a yes to lunch?”

“That’s a yes to lunch,” she beams, taking his hand to continue their walk.

*

 **Kristina James** @SummerDaisy8 1h

OMG! I’m on Lunch Cruise on River Thames with my parents and I swear HRH Prince Ben just stepped onto the boat! #PrinceBen #BestBirthddayEver

 **Kristina James** @SummerDaisy8 1h

There’s these shelf things between tables. Like six tables towards the front? Back? Either way they’re moving things. I think it’s really him. pic.twitter.com/MHT68y #princeBen #BestBirthdayEver

 **Kristina James** @SummerDaisy8 1h  
Replying to **@BensWifeLife**

I’m literally one table away from him. We’re at the table by the window. He’s in the back left corner. One table and the shelf thing between us. I’m dying. #princeben #BestBirthdayEver

 **Kristina James** @SummerDaisy8 1h  
Replying to **@LuceyMayDorado**

I made my dad switch chairs so I’m facing HRH Prince Ben’s table. #PrinceBen #BestBirthdayEver

 **Kristina James** @SummerDaisy8 45m

OMG!OMG!OMG! HES WITH A GIRL! RED ALERT! HES WITH A GIRL! NOBODY ELSE ON THIS BOAT SEEMS TO CARE EXCEPT FOR ME! #princeben #WorstBirthdayEver #ishetaken?

 **Kristina James** @SummerDaisy8 44m

My dad is getting mad at me but i’m not lying! HRH Prince Ben is on this boat with a girl! #princeben #myheart

 **Kristina James** @SummerDaisy8 40m

To many to tag asked to tag you all but she has brown hair. Wearing a souvenir tshirt from Germany. She was wearing sunglasses when they walked by.

 **Kristina James** @SummerDaisy8 40m

I can’t take pictures! Sorry guys! I tried to sneak one and the staff saw me and politely told me HRH bodyguards? Escorts? Have asked pictures not be taken. I will try to sneak a pic.

 **Kristina James** @SummerDaisy8 30m

OMG! THIS IS A DATE! THIS IS A DATE! ISTG THIS IS A DATE! HE JUST FED HER A BITE OF HIS CHICKEN! Side note, my chicken is cold.

 **Kristina James** @SummerDaisy8 28m

Again to many to tag, but there’s only one option for lunch, so they’re eating the same food. It’s chicken for entree and truffle cake for dessert. #princeben #needtoremembertags

 **Kristina James** @SummerDaisy8 21m

WE HAVE HAND HOLDING! HAND HOLDING OVER THE TABLE DURING DESSERT IS A THING GOING ON RIGHT NOW!

 **Kristina James** @summerdaisy8 15m

Okay, not making this up for people sending me hateful pms. We’re coming back to pier and I’ll take a picture of the Tower Bridge, and try to sneak one of him. PS. he’s super tall IRL.

 **Kristina James** @SummerDaisy8 10m

TY for support everyone. I am getting some really angry tweets sent my way. I’m just live tweeting what I see. The space in here is very small. It’s not like I’m seeing this from across the Thames. There's one table between us. ONE.

 **Kristina James** @SummerDaisy8 4m

Blurry pic from behind. They exited the other doors. pic.twitter.com/BYV09yn #princeben

 **Kristina James** @SummerDaisy8 1m

LMAO. Mom just asked me if that was HRH Prince Ben! This was my favorite birthday ever.

*

“We broke twitter,” Ben texts her as she’s on her way home. The people on the train shoot her questioning looks at her boisterous laughter. Ben’s not the only person to text her about the broken internet. Paige has called an emergency discussion session over the latest news sweeping the internet.

His Royal Highness Prince Ben’s mystery girlfriend. She likes the idea of being mysterious.

*

 **KOB_OfficialUK** @KOB_OfficialUK 5m

LIVE! Outside Buckingham Palace for the Royal Tea Party! Will try to livestream, but having connectivity issues. #BuckinghamPalace #royalteaparty #royalfamily

*

“You look gorgeous!” Rose complimented, making Rey turn in the aqua pencil dress with the peplum detailing that, incidentally, Rose picked for her at Little Black Dress. “Any chance Ben is picking you up in the next five minutes so I can meet him?” Rose asked, grabbing her apron, purse, and keys from where she dropped them on Rey’s bed.

Rey raised a brow at her, tapping the phone to look at the time. “Weren’t you supposed to leave 8 minutes ago?” She knew for a fact that Rose’s shift at the cafe started at noon, the bus ride would take at least 20 to 30 minutes depending on traffic.

“Lost my house keys?” she offered lamely. “Seriously, I want to meet him, and so does Finn! He said to wake him up when Ben gets here. Poe’s even been texting me all morning because you ignored his calls.”

“For a good reason. Now, you need to go to work, and I’ll text you later when Ben and I decide on an official meet and greet with my family unit,” Rey told her, physically spinning her around to march her out of the the bedroom. Rose protested, attempting to anchor herself to the banister as they stumbled down the stairs. Rey’s dress was sure to wrinkle from the tussel, but she wasn’t ready to tell her family about her royal courtship yet, that meant Rose had to disappear before Ben got here. “Don’t go boneless!” she despaired as Rose’s full weight went onto her, body going limp in a rag doll manner.

“It’s not fair! Why does he get to introduce you first? We want to meet him!” she shrieked, tumbling down the last two stairs with an groan, as Rey righted herself, straightening her dress back out.

“Later, I swear! You’ll get to meet him,” Rey promised, grabbing Rose’s raincoat from the rack, handing it to her. “It’s supposed to rain this evening, bundle up.”

“Is there something wrong with Ben? Is he deformed? Is that why you don’t want us to meet him?”

“Rose,” she sighed in exasperation, opening the door, attempting to push her out. Rose braced herself on the frame, making a starfish of her body, holding tight to the wood. “You're going to have to run now to catch your train.”

“I’ll never let go, Jack,” she dramatically declared before Rey held up her phone, showing her the clock on the screen. Rose yelped, jumping out into the street. “I’m going!” Rose said, gasping comically loud when Rey closed the door in her face. It opened two seconds later when Rose poked her head through to kiss Rey’s cheek. “You look gorgeous. Take a selfie.”

“I will,” she placated, closing the door again gently this time. She had limited time left till Ben arrived, which she used to run upstairs to brush her teeth again, pull on her strapped heels, and situate her hat atop her plaited hair that Rose had meticulously braided for her before becoming an obstinate brat that wouldn’t go to work. Rey, herself, had already had to call in a personal day to work with a half baked excuse because when she said she was having tea with the Queen, her boss had laughed.

Ben arrived at 11:30 on the dot, knocking on the door once before opening it, calling inside for Rey. She yelled down that she was coming, and grabbed her wallet, running down to see her boyfriend standing there, looking dashing in his suit, holding a long velvet box. “Is that candy?”

He lift the lid, revealing a blue square pendant necklace on a light colored chain that Rey would estimate cost more than the home she currently stood in. “To wear today.”

“This is real?” she asked, voice indicating that he better tread carefully. Her fingers robotically moved, fingers touching the light blue diamond, or sapphire, either way, it sparkled brighter than stars.

“My...mother insisted,” he flushed, avoiding her eyes. “My dad bought something similar for her when they were dating, she helped me choose it for you.”

“This isn’t a wedding proposal is it?” she asked, turning her back to him so he could put it on. She heard him fumble with the box, before it hit the ground and it sounded like he fumbled between wanting to pick it up and putting the necklace on. He chose the latter, winding the light colored chain around her neck till it set perfectly in the dip of her dresses neckline. Ben clasped it into place, moving his hands to her shoulders, leaning forward to kiss her nape.

“More like a show of courtship,” he whispers, pressing his head against hers. “Mom says it’ll make my grandmother happy to see you wearing something that signifies our relationship is serious.”

“Is it? Serious?” Rey asked, turning to look at him, eyes wide, unblinking as they caught his gaze, holding it in place like a cow in an alien tractor beam. “Are we serious?”

“I’m fifth date material, I think that’s pretty serious,” he quipped.

“Well, you did by me something valuable. Not every man buys his girlfriend a Hello Kitty plush from Japan…” she bantered, taking his offered arm to lead her out to the sleek black Rolls Royce--she made sure to lock up her home so no wandering Poe’s snuck in to harass sleeping roommates. Mitaka held the door open on the right side, holding his hand out for her. Being stubborn, as she was, she rejected the offering, stepping into the car on her own, setting to work on the seatbelt as Ben went around to get in on the other side, Mitaka following after the door closed.

“Be sure to thank my niece, she picked it out. She told me that’s how I tell a girl I like her, with a stuffed toy,,” Ben told her, and she giggled, because the image of a seven year old holding the doll out to someone as tall as Ben was a hilarious image. Offering him advice on how to talk to women, using Hello Kitty as a stepstone for romance. Precious, is the word. “Don't be alarmed,” he tells her, just seconds before two motorcycle cops pull in front of them, and another black car appears behind them.

“Seriously?” she’s basically twisting herself in half to look out the back window, then back to the front where she can make out the small whine of the sirens.

“You should see my grandmother’s motorcade. She actually wanted four officers, and another security car on us, but I talked her down.”

“Is it always like this?” Rey asked, plopping down properly in her seat, crossing her arms to show her indignation for all the fuss.

“No, not always. Today there’s a lot of traffic, press and civilian, this allows us to move more easily through the streets. Not get stuck in civilian traffic that might pose a risk to our safety. You forget that people have tried to harm, kidnap, or otherwise maim, royals in the past, this is just a precaution,” he explained.

Phrased like that Rey could understand. She had found on article online that said someone had tried to kidnap Jaina in her youth, to hold for ransom. “Is it bulletproof too?” she asked, only half joking. Mitaka immediately replied that it was bulletproof, along with other measures to ensure it was tamper proof from potential bombers. Rey pulls out her phone, scooting to the middle seat, waving Mitaka off when he asks that she please keep a seatbelt on. She grabs the middle belt, pointedly pulling it over her shoulder, clicking it into place with emphasis, eyes locked on his; Mitaka grins. “How about a selfie in the armoured vehicle?”

“One,” he concedes, turning to kiss her cheek as she snaps the picture. She taps her gallery, looking at the photo, admiring how happy they look between her wide smile and Ben’s contentment, they appear to be the most in love people in all of London, and she supposes it’s not far from the truth. She’s enamored. “Send that to me.”

“I want to make this my background, we actually look cute,” she tells him, hitting the background option, adding a couple of hearts for effect before setting it as her wallpaper, showing him.

“You look cute,” he amended, kissing her cheek again, doing that thing where he finds a way to put himself down while lifting her up.

“Ben, you look super handsome,” she added, smoothing out the lapels of his suit coat before running her hand up his tie, signifying that she’d show him how much later, but first, “What’s your mood today?”

“An eight? I’m actually in a pretty decent mood today,” he replied instantaneously, eyes on her fingers lazing trailing over his tie.

“Because of little ol’ me?” she flattered herself, pecking her lips. Ben grabbed her hand, bringing it to his lips, kissing her knuckles before pecking her lips in return.

“Because of you.”

*  
**The Royal Family** @RoyalFamily 3h

Her Majesty Queen Amidala will host tea today in honor of her grandson HRH Prince Ben, Duke of Cambridge.

 **Alyssa Combyn** @QueenAlyssaIV 3h  
Replying to **@royalfamily**

Queen Amidala looks so regal in that picture! Her majesty doesn’t age!

 **Jacob Matter** @JacobMatter 3h  
Replying to **@royalfamily**

Rumors are saying there’s an announcement today. Maybe about that girl HRH has been seen with? #whoisshe

 **KOB_OfficialUK** @KOB_OfficialUK 2h

HRH Princess Leia is unfairly beautiful! I wish we were allowed closer. Her dress is white today. #BuckinghamPalace #royalfamily #PrincessLeia

 

 **KOB_OfficialUK** @KOB_OfficialUK 2h

HRH Princess Jaina arrived after her mother! Princess Emilyn waved at us. She’s wearing the cutest little pink dress. Prince Jag looks regal as always. #BuckinghamPalace #royalfamily #FelFamily

 **Jacey Monroe** @JaceySolo2019 2h  
Replying to **@KOB_OfficialUK**

Where’s Prince Ben?! Any sightings yet? #PrinceBen #KnightsofBen

 **KOB_OfficialUK** @KOB_OfficialUK 2h

Luke, Duke of York, has arrived with Mara Jade, Duchess of York. Son Anakin, in tow. #BuckinghamPalace #royalfamily #LukeSkywalker

 **KOB_OfficialUK** @KOB_OfficialUK 2h

HRH Prince Ben’s motorcade has arrived! I repeat! Prince Ben has arrived. Live stream up now here: bit.ly/7thyly

 **KOB_OfficialUK** @KOB_OfficialUK 2h

………….OH.MY.GOD.

 **Julia Landsfield** @RuliaJulia 2h

OHMYGOD! IS THAT A WOMAN ON HIS ARM?! WHO IS SHE?! WHO IS THE GIRL IN THE BLUE DRESS?! #royalfamily #hightea #whoisshe?

 **Marcus Martin** @Mr.BenSolo98 2h

Dont crush my dreams and tell me the UK’s Prince Ben is taken. My life will be over! Cousin? Yes? Plz? #royalfamily #myhusband #whoisshe?

 **KOB_OfficialUK** @KOB_OfficialUK 2h

Attention: Knights of Ben is a fansite/fan twitter. The UK page is run by myself, Chrissy, and Michelle. None of us actually have any connection to the royal family we’re just fans. That being said, we can’t validate any rumours (½)

 **KOB_OfficialUK** @KOB_OfficialUK 2h

Additionally We know as much as you do about HRH Prince Ben’s mysterious guest. We’re arse over tit same as you lot. So please stop messaging us demanding answers we don't have. Thank you. (2/2)

 **KOB_OfficialUK** @KOB_OfficialUK 2h

If you want inside information on the royal family please follow **@RoyalFamily** for all the latest updates from inside Buckingham Palace.

*

“You, my dear, are officially trending,” was the first thing Jaina Fel said upon meeting Rey. Jaina greeted her like an old friend, taking her hands, admiring her from head to toe before kissing her cheeks. The woman was clearly Ben’s sister, in every way, save for lighter hair compared to his black locks. Her brows moved in the same way when she smiled, and she sported her share of beauty marks. Her eyes were dark, just like Ben’s, and Rey was trapped in them as Jaina stayed impossibly closer to her, as if she were memorizing every feature of Rey’s face. Rey would have bet they were twins if Jaina wasn’t two years older than Ben. “Everyone wants to know who you are. Amilyn is keeping mum though, it’s driving the internet wild.”

“Amilyn,” Rey asked, looking around the entry way and it’s grand marble pillars, offset with the dark red carpets. There were dark wood tables, chairs, and benches, and stairs that went all over the place. Goddess like statues stared down at her, wrapped in gossamer clothes carved from the stone they were made of. She can’t imagine entering this place so casually, calling such grandeur home. She had always thought the first time she entered Buckingham Palace would be on a tour group, not on the arm of a Prince, yet here she is.

“She’s kind of our liaison? Assistant? She was hired by our mom, she heads our twitter account,” Jaina explained, taking Rey’s arm, leading her away from Ben, up the half staircase towards the grand staircase, lined with a gold leaf gilded banister that made Rey afraid to use it. Portraits from men and women of history stared down at her from the walls as they climbed, Jaina continued to talk, about what Rey couldn’t follow, mainly because she was so distracted by the grandeur around them.

She’s led into a green drawing room, that Ben whispers in her ear is, incidentally, called The Green Drawing Room. The rest of their family is waiting here, meandering around as they chat with each other, all smiles, laughter, the ease of familiarity Rey only really had with her friends. Immediately, to their left upon entering is the little girl Rey recognizes as Emilyn, Ben’s niece, and she jumps up when she sees them. Her pink dress is ruffled, but she pays no mind, going for Rey, hugging onto her legs, wrapping herself like a boa, refusing to let go.

“You’re pretty! Just like Ben said,” the little girl proclaims, hugging her again. “I’m Emilyn.”

“This is my daughter,” Jaina offers. “The man, there, by the piano is my husband, Jag,” she added, motioning to the man in formal military dress, chatting with the man that Rey knows is Luke Skywalker from his pictures. He’s dress the most informally of the people in the room, wearing black slacks and a white logo’d button up shirt with a black tie; no coat. They’re standing beside a grand piano situated in front of a floor to ceiling window. “He’s not as stern as he looks.”

Rey kneels to Emilyn’s level, offering her a smile and a hand to shake. “So you picked out my Hello Kitty? I really like it, I put it on my pillow.”

Emilyn gives her a gapped filled grin, showing off her missing baby teeth as she flushed till her face almost matched the carpet with childish pride. Her fingers itch at her pinned curls, the bobby pins clearly bothering her as she whips around to grab her mom, saying loudly, in something the young girl thought was a whisper, “She liked my present!”

Ben puts a hand to Rey’s lower back, looking to guide her away from the bouncing youth when they’re cut off by a red haired young man, freckled, just a bit taller than Rey. When he got close enough, nose to nose--making Rey go cross eyed and Ben to growl in annoyance--she could see his blue eyes were a sharp contrast to his family. He’s a drop of white chocolate in a see of dark chocolate eye colors. “You’re Ben’s bird? Look to good for him.”

“I highly doubt that,” she said, taking a step back, holding her hand out. “You must be Anakin.”

He nods, taking her hand, looking at her as if she was the most amusing toy in the world. “Your name is Rey Kenobi, orphan, never adopted but took Ol’ Ben’s last name, because Camyll expressed interest in adoption. You work at Richards, the door factory, out in Silvertown. You’re a mechanical engineer.”

“And you clearly have no concept of privacy,” she told him, feeling like she was under investigation for a crime. Ben’s whispers to her that Anakin is looking to join law enforcement after Uni, either Scotland Yard or SIS; he means no harm.

“Ben has never brought anyone to introduce to us before. Granted, he’s no bold faced lothario like Uncle Han, I can name only one girl he’s dated ever, and it lasted exactly two months,” Anakin reasoned. “When he said he was bringing you, well, I’m not the only one who was curious. I’m just the only one that admits to it.”

“We’re done with him,” Ben says, leading her around Anakin to introduce her to Luke and his wife Mara Jade--Anakin was clearly his mother’s son, they were almost identical in Rey’s eyes-- both of whom conversed at depths with Rey about varying degrees of mixed martial arts.Luke had been instructed by his father, Anakin Skywalker the first, while Mara Jade took it up in self study before moving to proper instruction. They seemed impressed that she’d studied several forms herself, though she confessed that she hadn’t been in practice for a little over a year now. “Work and school, and volunteering kind of all collided,” she tells them. “I do demonstrations for the kids at Galactic City.”

They change to politics after that, Mara Jade discussing Leia’s work in Spain and Portugal. Leia is looking to put forth a proposal in the next months for higher funding for disaster relief, a worthy cause that has a number of parliament members planning to block it for indeterminate reasons. Her attention is no longer diverted from the grandeur around her, the portraits of monarchs past, the knick knacks that dot the room in decoration, everything looks beautiful, regal, so museum like it’s hard to think of this place as a home to anyone. Rey looks to Ben for where to go next, pleading with wide eyes to guide her.

The puzzle is solved when Ben guides her to turn, slamming right into a passing man who curses colorfully loud; Rey can see Jaina cover Emilyn’s ears in her peripherals. “Sorry!” she apologizes, coloring violently red in embarrassment as everyone seems to take notice, Luke says something vaguely insulting at the man that had said man telling Luke to colorfully bugger off.

“You are?” the man asks, and Rey prays a hole in the floor will open up, swallow her down to China or wherever the center of the Earth might be. A molten magma core may be cooler than the heat of her entire body at the moment. Ben’s hand is stiff on her hip, but she can barely focus on that under the firm gaze of the other man in front of her.

“I’m Rey, uh, Kenobi. Rey Kenobi, I’m..no one…” she muttered, trying to urge Ben away.

“Han, don’t scare the poor girl,” a softer voice says, a delicate hand moving over Han’s shoulder, the face of Princess Leia appearing at his side, offering her a gentle smile to assuage Rey’s embarrassment. “This is Ben’s girlfriend, be polite.”

“...this is the girl our kid wrangled?....how? She looks to pretty for him,” Han said, eyes moving to Ben. “She’s too pretty for you, kid. You didn’t talk her up enough.”

“Han….” Ben bites out, refusing to call his father by an endearment in this moment. The use of his first name indicating danger. Leia steps in to introduce herself, looking surprised when Rey sticks out her hand for a shake. Han boisterously chortles, his wife elbowing him in the side as she accepts the pleasantry.

“I’m Leia, I’ve heard quite a lot about you, young lady. My son speaks highly of you.”

“He does?” she glances up at Ben who looks suddenly interested in a painting on the wall by the door they entered through portraying a family of four, a man, a woman, and two brunette children dressed in large gowns. Leia reaches out to run her fingers through her youngest son’s hair, fussing over it, suggesting he cut it, patting his cheek affectionately.

“He’s grumpy,” Han tells her, giving her another once over. “So, kid, you’re an engineer? You like cars? Bikes? Machines? What’s your thing?”

“I did street race in my youth,” she confesses, not sure she should be sharing that information with the royal family if she wanted to keep dating Ben. “Nothing fancy. My quad jumper was something I built on my own from basically anything I could scavenge. I use to make extra money racing, fixing engines, Maz never really approved, per say, but I always found new parts stashed under my bed somehow.”

“I use to street race too, in my twenties, it’s how I met this one, bumped right into her at a pub. Isn’t that right, sweetheart? Always trying to talk her brother out of racing.” Han smirked, a half quirk of his lips that looked all to familiar, given it was the exact way Ben smirked. She looked between Ben and his father, giggling in her head as she thought about how Ben called her sweetheart. Ben Solo looked like his mother, but clearly he was a photocopy of his father.

“...crashed. He crashed into the pub trying to drift around a tight corner on Tatooine,” Leia clarified, putting her hands on his hips. “And when he says twenties, he means he was 26 years old, and put his best friend in the hospital because of that crash.”

“What’s life without a broken arm?” Han shrugged. “I still hold the record for fastest Kessel Run.”

Rey eyes widened, looking at the greying man in disbelief. “Wait, you’re that Han Solo? The Falcon racer who did the Kessel Run in 14 minutes flat?” She’d raced the Kessel Run once, the tight corners were absolutely killer, about taking her bike out more than once with how hard she hit the brakes. She knew the average racer did the run in 20 minutes, give or take, until Han Solo came along.

“It was 12!” he corrected. “More like 11 minutes and 52 seconds, if we’re wanting to get technical.”

“After you stole that liqueur from Jabba’s pub,” Leia reminded, shaking her head. “He’s the reason our son drives like he’s gone mad.”

“Ben drives?” looking to her boyfriend, wondering why they’re shared interest in motorbikes had yet to come up. Future date idea would be to drive together at some point, even if they just had to rent bikes.

“Oh yeah, taught the kid myself. He can handle a gearshift like a pro, Jacen could too it was like they were born with racing in their blood.,” Han declared proudly, chest puffing out like a robin showcasing itself.

Rey shifted awkwardly from foot to foot, not sure what to do with the subject of their deceased son. “I’m sorry,” she decided. “About Jacen, Ben told me about him..”

Leia offered her a half smile, more of a wince, reaching out to take her hand. “Thank you. It was, a long time ago, we’ve healed, and we look toward the future everyday. We try not to dwell on our regrets”

“Speaking of the future,” Han said, and Rey could see the look on his face that came with loss, or more importantly it was slip of his features that said the subject was still a barb in his heart. “I’ll have to take you to Metropolis. We can go riding sometime, you, me, and my kid, get to know you better.”

Ben diverted the conversation, turning Rey slightly away from his father. “I should introduce Rey to grandmother before tea starts.”

“Of course,” Leia concurred, “Don’t leave without spending more time with us. You and Rey both.”

“Double that, kid, let’s get a drink before you head out,” Han told him, placing a firm hand on his shoulder, patting him.

“I will,” Ben told them, turning Rey away, leading her towards the Queen herself, who sat by a fireplace, chatting with a purple haired woman. “So those are my parents.”

“They seem nice,” Rey chuckled, leaning into his embrace ever so slightly. He took that to his advantage leaning down to whisper in her ear to curstie to his grandmother, and she’s left wondering if she was meant to be curstsing to the rest of Ben’s family. Had that been why they were giving her strange looks? “Was I meant to curtsy to everyone?” she hurriedly murmurs as they draw closer and closer to Queen Amidala in her forest green dress shirt. Ben grins, smug, and that’s all the answer she needs.

Rey curtseys shakily when she meets the Queen.

Rey becomes instant best friends with Her Majesty Queen Amidala, who insisted Rey call her Padme., who finds her aloof nature endearing. Padme invites her to take a seat next to her as they wait for tea. There’s something easy about talking to the woman, almost as if they were the same person in different life times. She asks how Rey met Ben and she relays the story in entirety, surprised when Padme shakes her head at her grandson’s antics, commenting he’s much to like his grandfather. She compliments the necklace Rey wears, and asks how she’s feeling about meeting Ben’s family. “It’s jarring. You’re the Queen of England,” Rey admits. “It’s odd sitting here, chatting, but everyone is very nice. They feel like normal people.”

“Oh, we’re quite normal, dear, just sometimes we’re normal with fanciful headwear,” she jests, eyes sparkling with her mirth. The purple haired woman turns out to be Amilyn Holdo, who Jaina had referenced before as the family liaison. She requests to take a picture of them, and pushes Ben over to stand behind them, posing him with his hand on Rey’s shoulder.

“Look happy!” she urges, taking several pictures with her phone, turning it sideways for a few before she seemed content.

Ben becomes an afterthought as Padme monopolizes her, telling her grandson to keep up when they’re escorted to the dinning room for their tea. Padme requests Rey take the seat on her left, with Ben next to Rey, and Leia to her mother’s right, Han across from his son as if it’s the most amusing thing in the world--when Han throws a bit of biscuit at Ben she understand why.

Padme tells her about meeting Anakin when they were younger--while intermittently suggesting treats to eat with her tea--when she was 15 and Anakin was just a boy of 10, a servant boy, no less. “My name was Naberrie then, my father, Ruwee, was King. I was raised in government, politicians, senate, my whole family for as far back as I can remember. I was born into royalty with nothing but a crown in my future, same as my sister, Sola. She bowed under the pressure our father put us under, he was quite strict, hardened from his time as King during the war. She abdicated after getting married,” she told her.

She talks about how Anakin served in the military alongside a man name Qui Gon--killed during a ‘routine’ mission--and Ben Kenobi, who he served alongside during the Indonesian-Malaysian confrontation. “Ben was always there for Anakin, even when he was at his worst. When he came home we got married, and I became pregnant with Luke and Leia.”

Padme tells her of Anakin’s mother who was killed by a group of thugs, and Anakin had been torn apart after the coming back from Borneo. He’d gone after the thugs, only narrowly avoiding killing them when Ben found him, pulling him away before he did something irrational. They hadn’t known about mental illnesses then, “Thought it was madness, mania, caused by seeing hell. Had we known, we might have seen the warning signs in Jacen, and in Ben,” she tells her.

She tells Rey how they eloped on a beach despite Anakin’s dislike of sand, and how Anakin was crowned Prince consort after her coronation as Queen. He fell subject to the whisperings of a senator Palpatine who promoted the welfare of the rich to the needs of the many, hoping he could play puppet master from behind the curtain; a veritable Wizard of Oz. “He vowed to do better by me after Luke and Leia were born. Dark times those were….Palpatine was a bad man with quite a lot of support..”

The woman has such an incredible story Rey isn’t surprised that they turned it into a TV drama on Netflix. This kind of thing was to unreal, things written in books as an epic of love, loss, and family told over the length of a miniseries, or movie trilogy, or maybe both.

“I have such an incredible family, my Luke and sweet Leia,” she tells her, taking Leia’s hand, squeezing it as she nods to Luke who smiles back at his mother. “And my grandchildren...my sweet Ben, who is secretly my favorite..”

“We can hear you!” Anakin calls down the table, placing his tea down to playfully glare at his grandmother.

The room at large laughs, Padme chuckling as she leans close enough to speak only to Rey. “Ben is a fragile boy who acts like he’s made of steel. However, in these past weeks, he’s been lively, cheerful, and you, my dear, have done that for him. I’m very happy you came into his life.”

Rey bites her bottom lip to keep from crying at the heartfelt words, instead, she turns to Ben’s family, looking around them all. She feels like she belongs, even at this long table, decked in gold and crystal, surrounded by England’s elite, stared at by portraits of their history, their family.

Maybe one day her family.

Padme calls for a photo album, and everyone at the table tries to escape pictures of their assorted childhoods. Padme will not be deterred as she opens the album to page one, showcasing polaroids of her twin babies coated in bubbles, taking a bath together, this time it Leia and Luke who are blanched in mortiftification.

*

 **KOB_OfficialUK** @KOB_OfficialUK 30m

Her Majesty The Queen escorted Mystery Woman to car! She kissed her cheek! Fans, we may have a consort alert on MW! #BuckinghamPalace #PrinceBen #WhoisShe?

 **Julia Landsfield** @RuliaJulia 25m  
Replying to **@KOB_OfficialUK**

She could still be family. Please don’t crush my dreams. :( #royalfamily #PrinceBen #whoisshe?

 **The Royal Family** @RoyalFamily 2m

Her Majesty Queen Amidala hosted tea in honor of her grandson HRH Prince Ben Solo’s official announcement of courtship to Miss Rey Kenobi. Congratulations to the happy couple!

*

“So if I wanted to go to Thorpe Park for my family date how would you feel?” she asks as they approach her home, the white stone drawing closer and closer.

He kisses her forehead, pulling her close, closing his eyes, nuzzling her hair. She’s learned this is his body’s response to a declining mental state, rubbing against her like a cat wanting affection to calm himself. “Let’s do it.”

“It’s a date,” she decides, looking to her house, not ready to leave him. “How are you feeling?”

“Like a four, slowly descending into a three at the moment,” he mutters truthfully, keeping his eyes closed. “I’d prefer you go home right now. I don't know where my mood is going to take me.”

“You know, I’ll have to see it eventually.”

“Not yet. I don't need you to see me at my worst when you’re just starting to like me.”

“Who said anything about liking you?,” she teased, kissing his cheek, noting the way his body tensed involuntarily from the contact. “Text me, if you need absolutely anything.”

“I will. I might just go home and sleep, but I’ll text you.”

“Mitaka, keep an eye on him, please,” Rey requested, moving away from him, seeing that physical contact wasn’t doing him good at the moment. “Even if you just need to talk, Ben, you can call me,” she reminds as Mitaka acquiesced to her request, opening the door for her to step out. She bids Ben one last goodbye, and he waves, not looking up from the floorboards and she can’t stop her worry for him, hoping he’ll be alright as the car disappears in the distance.

The front door is unlocked when she puts her key in, leaving her to wonder who is inside. It’s to early for Rose, but maybe Finn was up and about already, let Poe in if he came knocking, repeatedly, like he doesn’t when they don’t answer immediately. She knew Finn had a late shift, and didn’t go in till 17:00, but also knew Poe would not be denied, not when Finn had such a soft spot for him.

“Finn?” she called,walking into the reception room to toe off her heels. She made her way into the living room stopping when she saw not only Finn, but Poe, Rose, and Paige all sitting around, looking ready to give her an intervention. All that was missing was her dirty laundry laying out on the table, saying nonverbally that they knew her dirty secret or whatever it was that acted as her vice in the imagined intervention scenario.

Rose jumps up when she sees her, exclaiming, “You’re dating Prince Ben Solo, Duke of Cambridge?!”

All hell breaks loose in the three bedroom Mitcham home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading!! All comments and kudos are super appreciated!


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you, once again for all the lovely comments and kudos. Every comment brings a smile to my face, you guys have no idea! 
> 
> Tonight I bring you chapter 3 that comes with special warnings all of it's own.
> 
> TRIGGER WARNING (for this chapter only): Bipolar induced rage in the last scene of this chapter. If that makes you uncomfortable please feel free to let the chapter end at the three bolded asterisks like so ***

“Someone at my work saw the picture of us on my background,” Rose explained, showing them all the picture of her, Rey, and Paige at the London Eye, as if they were in a courtroom and it was exhibit A. “Next thing I know, someone named Lisa from RoyalWatch.com is in the shop asking me if I’d answer a few questions about Rey Kenobi. After her came a Kelly, then a Benedict, the shop was swimming with journalists, trying to verify the picture on the royal family Twitter with mine. They had to send me home.”

“She woke me up when she got here, told me what was going on,” Finn added through a yawn

“Then I called Paige, sent her the tweet and Poe showed up right before she did,” continued Rose.

“Basically the same story. Someone at work saw the group picture of us from your graduation party tacked up on my wall, asked me if that was the girl from twitter. I was confused for a minute, but then I get on, and your face is everywhere, getting personal with the Queen of England. Next thing you know five different people are clamoring to talk to me, taking pictures of the picture, asking where you went to school, how old you are, what you liked to eat for breakfast. I got the hell out of there, and came here,” Poe annotated, plopping onto the arm of the couch, letting Finn lean against him, rubbing his shoulders to comfort his wariness.

“Jess has been texting me nonstop, annoyed I snuck out. Our bosses are going mad wanting the scoop on who His Royal Highness Ben Solo’s mystery woman is, and all the details of their courtship. She’s been keeping her head down all day, she doesn’t know what to do. I haven’t been able to get ahold of Kaydel,” Paige told her, running her hand through her hair, pulling it loose of its ponytail clearly frustrated with the position Rey unintentionally put them in.

“I’m sorry,” Rey offered lamely. “In my defense, I had no idea who he was till about two weeks ago? The weekend date in Cambridge? I found out then, and I’ve been acclimating ever since. I needed time to process, I guess is the easy way to explain it.”

“...wait, you were dating the Prince for over a month and you had no idea he was the Prince?” Finn questioned before bursting out laughing. “I love you, Rey, I really do. That’s brilliant.”

She pouted, crossing her arms as Rose joined in, grabbing Finn’s hand to keep from falling off the couch. “I’m glad your entertained.”

“I told you to get on twitter, but no, Rey has to be anti-social media,” he gasped through his laughter, holding onto Poe, who seemed more than appreciative of the man in his arms. “No gossip rags either despite two of your closet friends working for one.”

Finn yelped when Rey kicked his shin in retaliation. “I get it, I’m a hermit, but I liked the guy…..I did slam the door in his face when I found out.”

Rose paled, laughter ceasing like a dam cutting off water flow, fast and sudden, looking at her with saucer sized eyes. “You slammed a door on a Prince of England? He’s second in line for the throne, you know?”

“Yes, I know. I was angry initially, that he didn’t just tell me, but we made up,” Rey told them, watching her friends look between each other, excluding her from the silent conversation.

“By made up, do you mean made up?” Paige hinted suggestively with a waggle of her eyebrows. Poe whistled, leaning forward for details while Finn face pinched, covering his ears as he established that he didn’t want to know.

Rey went crimson, not wanting to tell all her friends at once how many times she’d had sex with Ben over that weekend, or in the days that followed. They quite enjoyed sex. “Look, I’m really sorry,” she diverted. “You lot are like my family and I should have told you but it was just all really new but I guess I do owe you one....Paige can you call Jess for me?”

“Uh, sure?” she agreed, hitting the contact button, her voice clearly asking what she needed Jessika for when she was sitting right in front of her. Paige placed it on speaker, holding her phone out like a waitress carrying a tray. Jessika picked up on the third ring, her voice sounding disheveled, distressed, when she yelled hello into the receiver. They could hear the sound of people running around behind her, likely in a scurry to get the scoop on the royal family, their whole job was social media, after all.

“Hey, Jess, It’s Rey.”

“And everyone,” Paige adds, the other three people in the room calling their respective greetings into the phone.

“Rey?! Oh my god, you can’t call here, nobody knows I know you and if they find out...it’s crazy right now..” Jessika says, her voice sounding like a puppy sitting up upon hearing their name, except panic stricken. “Vic, from Paige’s office has already been down here, asking about the Rey we know.”

“She better not have gone through my stuff,” Paige told her.

“Look,” Rey cut in. “Tell your boss to pick a reporter and a photographer, text me the information and I’ll give them an exclusive, I’ll even try to drag Ben along,” Rey told her, and Paige hopped up, affronted that Rey didn’t offer the exclusive to her instead,

“....are you serious right now? Please don’t be messing with me.”

“I’m serious,” Rey confirmed. “Get me the information and we'll set a time before the end of the work day.”

“I bloody love you, I’m marrying you, making you Mrs. Pava, and stealing you away to Greece tonight,” Jessika shouted into the receiver before hanging up to go tell her boss the news.

Paige looked at her phone is disbelief, mouth open wide. “She never offered to whisk me away to Greece.”

Poe leaned forward, putting his chin on his hand, changing the subject or rather guiding it back to her tea time. “You met Princess Leia, didn’t you? What’s she like?”

“Nice. Very serious, she talks politics like a second nature. Her husband, Han, is very cool, and Ben is his doppelgänger in almost every way. Their mannerisms are so similar. Han was a street racer, drove the Falcon, and made the Kessel Run in under 12 minutes, damn impressive,” she told them, disregarding the cartoon question marks skipping around their heads. Except for Poe whose fingers itch to ask for more information regarding the run. “Padme was the nicest though, we got on like fish in water. I'm sure she was already drawing up plans for a wedding.”

“Padme? Do you mean Queen Amidala?” Rose questioned, voice pitching a couple octaves,“You call Queen Amidala by her given name?”

“She insisted,” Rey shrugged, digging out her phone when it vibrated. Jessika was quick on the information Rey asked for, including an address for the magazine and phone numbers if she needed those. Rey shot a quick text to Ben, starting by telling him he didn’t need to immediately reply, and apologizing for bothering him, promising to make it up to him.

 

“I’ll get you Holdo’s number,” he replied seconds later, short, concise, all business in his down mental state. The phone number followed along with another text featuring hearts to let her know he wasn’t bothered by her,

“Thank you.” She sent twice as many hearts back along with a kissy emoji.

“Is that him?” Paige asked. “Are you just casually texting the Duke of Cambridge?”

“I’m texting my boyfriend,” she corrected, switching screens to the new text input to send a message to Holdo. She wrote out a quick greeting before going into her request, attaching the information Jessika sent her, with a request to help her friend out.

“Do you have Princess Leia’s number? Can I have her number?” he asked, moving Finn gently to lay on the couch cushions as the man began to doze, before attempting to snatch Rey’s phone with no actual momentum to the motion.

“She’s a little old for you, Dameron.”

“And I’m a little too poofy for her. That doesn’t mean I don't respect her. Out of all the royals Princess Leia is by far, my favorite. She seems like the type of woman who’d slap you for toeing out of line and not spare a second thought.”

“And you would be the type to get your jollies off, right, Dameron,” Paige teases, urging Rose to poke Finn who was half asleep, thus no longer participating in the conversation. Poe jumps when a text comes through on Rey’s phone, an affirmative from Holdo on setting up the meeting, she just needed the location, time, and if Ben planned to attend as well to be sent to her before the actual meeting.

“Who's texting you now?” Poe asks, returning to Finn’s side, letting the man cuddle up to him like a stuffed bear.

“Holdo, the royal family’s press liaison, she just gave me the okay to give Jess that exclusive.”

“You realize we’re going to have to go shopping before that, right?” Paige told her, receiving an enthusiastic cheer from Rose, while Poe commented on the fact that Rey just said press liaison. “If you’re dating a royal you’re going to become a style icon. Everyone is going to want to know what and who you’re wearing. Shoes, hairpieces, clothes, I can’t believe you wore that dress to tea now. Everyone is going to find out we got it on sale,” Paige lamented, sighing in disbelief at her own faux pas.

“It was a good deal!” Rey argues. “And it’s gorgeous!”

“When’s your next date? We can get you a whole new wardrobe!” Rose cheers, already pulling up her phone for ideas. Rey looked between the sisters, trying to find a way to remind them she’d always been a jeans and tshirt kind of girl, so was Rose, except those nights when she felt like putting in the effort to match shoes and accessories.

“Thorpe Park, Saturday morning,” she tells them, as Paige bemoans over the fact that it’s only a couple days away.

“...Thorpe Park?” Finn exclaims, sitting up lightning fast, suddenly very awake for someone who had been drooling on Poe’s coat just seconds ago. “You’re going to Thorpe Park? Are we invited? Can we come?”

Rose had drops her phone completely, hugging Finn’s arm in her excitement of the theme park idea. Poe seemed to be holding himself back, but she could see the speed demon coaster rider glint in his eye. “Ben and I had kind of intended it to be a meet the family, you lot being that family.”

“Yes! We can do Saw first!” Rose cheers, pumping her fist in the air.

“No way! Stealth is the best. What better way to start a day then that launch?” Poe argues, while Rose suggests Nemesis Inferno. “Everyone better be off work, because this is happening, understand? Finn? Are you off?”

“Yeah. I’m off till Monday. I was supposed to go in tonight, but doubt that’s happening considering the situation,” he says, waving in Rey’s direction; she sticks her tongue out.

“Paige? Rose? You guys off?”

“My boss gave me a leave till next Monday with all this press stuff,” Rose informs them. “It’ll give me a chance to put in more applications.”

“Or consider that IT job you were offered,” Finn told her, and Rey had to agree with him there. Even if it wasn’t Rose’s dream job, it was something that had her working with computers, moving one step forward towards her dream occupation in web and software developing. Just like Rey working as a lackey at a manufacturing plant, baby steps.

“I never work weekends,” Paige shrugs. “I’ll make sure Jessika and Kaydel are off and we’ll make this happen.”

Rey smiles at her friends, her family, knowing their trip to Thorpe Park would be one to remember.

*

“He fired me!” Rey shouts into the phone, kicking the seat in front of her, apologizing to the guard seated there. “Or more correctly, he brought me up to his office and said there was a concern for my safety and the safety of those around me. Plus, liability to the office, or some mess about they’re private working being on display.”

“Were there press there when you arrived?” Ben asks; she can hear the clacking of a keyboard as he worked, multitasking during their conversation.

“A few. Eliza tweeted my work schedule to every major tabloid in this damn country. That’s when Johnson brought me up stairs, and gave me this speech about how it wasn’t working out, and that having someone with such a public image didn’t look good on their company…”

“He’s probably doing something off the books,” Ben hummed. “I can look into it, if you’d like.”

“No, no, I don't need my boyfriend fighting my battles for me. I’m just really pissed off about this. This is my job! And I don't want to stop working because I’m dating a Prince, or a Duke, or whatever you are because you have money,” she rants, stomping her foot, like a petulant two year old who didn’t get a snack. “I don't want my income to come from telling some teen mag that I eat pizza and biscuits as my regular diet. I want to work!”

“I’ll keep an eye out, for job openings that might interest you,” he tells her, cutting her off before she can say she didn’t want his help, he continues, undeterred, “Not apply for you, or tell them I’m associated with you. Just put a vibe out. A lot of companies look internally before posting to boards. Richards is under an umbrella corporation, correct?”

“Yeah, I believe they were recently acquired by Douglas & Daye INC. They have a few different companies throughout England,” she answers, relaxing back against the seat as best as she can in her annoyance.

“Alright, so start there, in the same little ring of companies and branch out. We’ll get you a job, sweetheart, I’m not asking you to stop working and rule the world with me.”

She chuckles,“Good, because I’d tell you no.”

“How about I come over after I get done here? Hux just needs to bring me some projections and we’re done for the day. I can come over, and we can go to Galactic City in the morning before heading to Thorpe Park?” he offers, and Rey smiles to herself and to the idea of spending the night with her boyfriend in her own bed.

“That sounds great,” she agrees, and he offers a soft goodbye, promising to see her in a bit. She returns the sentiment, hanging up the phone, holding it to her heart. Ben Solo has a talent of making her feel lighter than air peaceful, content, even when she’d been a raging mess just seconds before. He knew how to read her. Knew just want she needed to hear.

She just might be in love.

*

“It’s early and I hate you,” Rey grumbles against his chest, ignoring him as he attempted to wave coffee at her for the third time that morning. He’d used that same cup as a carrot to a horse, leading her out to the car they now sat in. “When you said up early I was thinking seven, maybe 8, not six bloody am in the morning.”

“That’s redundant,” he tells her, holding the coffee out of her reach to make her have to move to get it.

“Murder, death, destruction,” she mutters, snatching the coffee away from him, taking a drink, whimpering as the scolding liquid touches her tongue. “Did you get the tickets for Thorpe?”

“I did. Your friends can meet us at the gate. The park opens at 10, we should be able to get there by 11,” he rubs her arm as she chugs down the hot coffee, disregarding the blinding sting of hot in favor of the caffeinated buzz it would offer her, rejuvenating her enough to play with the kids for a couple hours. “How are you feeling today, Rey? I know this is new and the press will be all over us today at the park, and I don’t want you to…”

“What? Resent you? It’s not your fault,” she instantly replies, pecking his lips. “Honestly, I think Jess and Paige are angrier than I am. They’ve been talking about how I do my hair and what clothes I wear non stop, reminding me the tabloids will be watching what I eat, drink, and say. It doesn’t bother me a lick.” Except for when it cost her her job, but she was coming to terms with that, looking forward to the future and hoping for the best out of the six applications she sent out last night as Ben sat behind her, watching Netflix.

“Good,” he says, taking the cup from her as they pull up to Galactic City. Maz is waiting for them, hurrying to them as soon as they step out of the car. She hugs Ben around the waist, that same comical manner as the first day they met. Ben doesn’t bow to meet her, and Maz doesn’t give him the chance to when she turns to Rey, pulling her down to her level.

“I always told you the belonging you sought was in your future, didn’t I?” she muses, eyes burrowing into Rey’s like a beetle into sand. “He’s a wonderful match for you,” she adds, patting Rey’s cheek before pulling her inside to help with breakfast service.

*

“Ben!” Melody, the vivacious six year old, screams right into Rey’s ear, barrelling past her to capture the man as he walks by the game room. The rest of the children can be heard outside, playing on the assorted equipment, or down the hall, watching a movie. Melody has opted for staying indoors, joined by two of her best friends, Daisy, and Mimi, both of whom join her in corralling much larger person in the room, yanking and tugging till he came to a stop beside Rey. “Kneel!” Melody orders in the same way she had done to Rey just ten minutes ago. She pokes at his knees Ben is kneeling beside Rey, in the congregation of the group home teddy bears.

“What’s going on?” he asks, as the young girls whisper amongst themselves before nodding, Daisy and Melody running out of the room for a moment, leaving Mimi standing in front of them.

“We’re getting married,” Rey informs him, motioning to the bedsheet Daisy had put on her head as a veil. “I was supposed to be marrying Prince Bearringtong over there,” she motions to the brown bear now laying on his side, moved aside by the girls, forgotten. “But then you walked by.”

Ben chuckles, looking to the girls as they come running back in with flowers picked from outside--their knees are coated with dirt that finds its way to the floor--three of them, one each, and the last going to Rey to hold. “Glad to know I was the second choice.”

Rey huffs with a wink. “What can I say? Prince Bearrington’s trust was just so much bigger.”

Mimi clears her throat, and they apologize as the ceremony begins in the best way a six year old knows how to officiate. She stumbles over the words, getting the main points down of being together when they’re sick and kissing each other’s boo-boos when they’re hurt, and hugging each other when they cry. She made sure they exchanged rings--in the form of ring pops from Maz’s good behaviour stash--and they were pronounced man and wife with no vows. “Oh!” she exclaims, clapping her small hands as if she’s just remembered something. “Rey, do you take Ben to be your awful bedded husband?”

Rey tries not to laugh, failing quite horribly when she agrees. “And Ben! Do you take Rey as your awfully ledded wife?”

“I do,” he says, tone genuine, sincere in the sentiment. Rey was frozen in place, looking at Ben, knowing she should find this whole thing ridiculous, hilarious. Yet, as she kneels there, blanket on her head, flower in hand, lolly ring on her finger, she thinks it almost feels right, perfect even. She can see herself at the altar with this man, one day, in the future, and it gives her a pleasant sensation that makes her knees wobble when the girls pull them up.

“You can kiss, but not on the lips!” Mimi instructs them, and Ben does so, leaning forward to place a lingering kiss on Rey’s cheek as the girls cheer, throwing rice in the air that they likely stole from the kitchen; Maz will have words later, no doubt.

They’re led to their new home--a table in the corner of the room dedicated to puzzling--and the girls get them little plates with plastic food, and tea cups. Melody comes running over with her baby doll, forcing it into Rey’s arm. “You have a baby now!”

“We have a baby now,” Rey repeats, looking to Ben.

“I move fast, what can I say,” he jokes.

*

“Mmh..” she moans as Ben’s mouth latches to her neck, sucking at her pulse point as she tilts her head to give him more. Rey isn’t sure what came over her, other than the overwhelming sensation of right when Ben was being sweet. When he was sweet, he was very sweet, and she just had to kiss him. They barely made it to the car before they were on each other, riding this odd wave of exhilaration that accompanied three six year olds planning their entire future for them. Something about being faked married, with a child, and then two children, and a home, had both their libidos skyrocketing. Which was odd, in Rey’s opinion, because she’d always feared the concept of marriage, assumed it wasn’t for her, and she had thought Ben would freak out in typical man fashion. Of course, Ben Solo subverted all expectations; it was one of the things she loved about him.

Yet, here they were, necking in the back of a Rolls Royce while their appointed driver and guard pretended like nothing was going on in the back seat. Despite the fact they were definitely fogging the windows as Ben’s hand slid up her thigh, creeping closer to the edge of her shorts. His digits flirt with the edge of her panties beneath, and she can do nothing but grab his hair and pull his mouth back to hers, initiating another dance of tongue and saliva.

His tongue circles hers, urging her to play as she nips at the invading organ, sucking till he’s moaning above her. Her leg moves over his thigh to show him the extent of her arousal, twisting in a way that causes the seatbelt to dig uncomfortably into her midsection. “Want you,” he all but growls, snapping his head to the passenger seat when Mitaka clears his throat.

“With all due respect, your highness, to you and Miss Rey, we are approaching the park.”

“Let’s skip the park and go back to mine. We can still have fun,” he propositions, refusing to let her pull away, grip firm on her thigh.

“We’re meeting my friends, remember? But I’ll come back to yours tonight, promise,” she assures him with one last long open mouthed kiss that has him groaning when she peels away from him, like a rind from an orange.

He sits back, setting about flattening his hair where her fingers had mushed it, while she tries to figure out how to make it look like she didn’t appear to have fallen asleep, or worse, just had sex; Paige would call her on it, public be damned. She decides on pulling her hair down from it’s ponytail to tie it up in a half pony, attempting to tame the fly aways with her fingers. Her eyes travel finding a startling view outside of the window, seeing lines of backed up traffic, travelers honking their horns, likely wondering what’s going on. “God, I’ve never seen it so busy…” she muses, blinking as they drove by with ease.

Ben clears his throat. “The right lane is closed while we come through, they’ll have closed the entrance gate as well to thru traffic, after we pass they’ll reopen it. It’s for security reasons.”

“Oh. I hope my friends got through, if that’s the case!” she exclaims, digging her phone out of her mini backpack to call Finn, hoping he picks up. It takes nearly five rings before she hears the familiar voice of her best friend yelling over a crowd behind him. Her arm snaps the phone away from her ear as Finn yells, attempting to speak over the noise of foot traffic and park speakers.“Where are you guys?” she questions, talking a bit louder so Finn can hear her.

“We’re upfront, by the gates, we got through right before they closed it off. Like, the car right behind Jessika was the last one they let through before they closed it off. They just closed the ticket gates, so they’re not letting anyone through right now,” he relayed to her--voice only getting louder as if she was the one surrounded by hundreds of milling park go-ers--just as they pass under the roller coaster themed arch declaring Thorpe Park. An employee of the park stood by the parking entrance in an orange vest, shaking his head at a man that was talking to him out of his window. He stood in the middle of the street, likely apologizing for the inconveniences as they breezed right on by.

“They’re setting up metal barricades,” Rose shouts into the receiver, and Rey can just visualize her climbing over Finn’s shoulder to do it. “We’re trying to hang close, but now people are curious about who's coming for all this security. We’re getting pushed and shuffled around here.”

“They’re not even letting people cross the street now,” Poe added--voice just as loud as his companions, apology following as he apparently bumped into someone-- and Rey can now visibly see the scenario they were painting. More vested employees stand at the crosswalk shaking their heads as people gestured towards the direction of the ticket gates.

“I see that,” Rey relayed as the car rounds the corner towards the straightaway. She can see people already taking pictures with their camera phones while a number of press hurried to get setup, clearly late to the party. She assumes Paige and Jessika’s tabloid friend is in the fray too, as they gave her permission to be the only press following them throughout the park today.

“Oh! Is that you?” Paige yells over her sister and friends; four people screaming into one phone had to make a caricature of a picture. “Guess it’s you since there’s flags. How do we get on the other side of this barricade?”

“You don’t,” a gruff man’s voice adds, and Rey laughs, just imagining Paige glaring at him. The woman had a seriously withering stare sure to shrink a man on the spot.

“We’ll be there in two seconds, okay?” she tells them, hanging up as they pull up as close to the gate as they can be. The remaining park goers not already on their scent turn to stare, starting to pull their own phones out for photos.

Ben steps out first resulting in deafening screams appropriate to a rockstar. Not just from the women and girls, but a number of men start shouting his name, attempting to get as close as possible. He holds out his hand to Rey, and she accepts it, sliding across to seat to step out, Mitaka exits the vehicle to close the door for them. She’s startled by the immediate response to her appearance, a number of people reaching out to her, waving, screaming her name as if she were just as important as Ben.

“You’re beautiful!!” Several people shout, holding their hands out towards her. She reaches out, shaking a few hands, starting a domino effect of people rushing to get a chance to touch her. The media snap pictures, yelling her name insistently ,trying to get her to look their way.

“I love your outfit!” A group of teens holler at her, despite the fact she’s in a pair of shorts, brown boots and an, admittedly, designer white lace tank top Paige had insisted she wear. It’s rather overwhelming to have all these people clamoring to touch her, talk to her, proclaim their love for her when they don't even know her. She waves and smiles, and hopes she doesn’t look to awkward as she does.

“You’re a gorgeous couple!”

“I’ve seen better!” Finn shouts in response to that, making Rey laugh, hurrying over to let the guards know her friends could could come through, the tension of the event easing from her shoulders at the sight of her friends.

“They’re my friends,” she told them, motioning for them to slide through while a couple of teens attempt to blend in, to laughs from the crowd. Jessika came up on the end, with a woman she introduces as Candace and a photographer named Peter, her chosen team from SCENE—Jessika emphasized that she wasn’t here on work. Mitaka gave them a quick security check, urging them to keep moving, motioning them towards the ticket gate so they could reopen. He gave Candace and Peter press passes along with a sheet of paper that Rey thinks might be rules, or questions they can’t ask.

Once they were through they’re led forward to Guest Services to meet their personal park guide Claudia, who curtsies to Ben before curtsying to Rey—she’s not sure how to tell the woman didn’t have to do that—as if she’s someone to prostrate herself before. Rey introduces Ben to everyone, starting with Finn, and Poe, Rose, Paige, Kaydel and Jessika, each who properly bow to him before shaking his hand in greeting. Poe hugs him, exclaiming that they’re all family now and Rey sees Ben stiffen during the exchange, so she takes his hand, and gently pries Poe away. Candace requests a picture of her and Ben together before they get going. They pose together, with Ben’s arm around her waist, looking casual as if they were just cuddling on his couch. Finn makes a motion with his fingers, from his eyes to Ben’s; Rey shakes her head. The reporter has no interest in group pictures, and Jessika cuts Rey to the quick before she can defend them. “We’re not the story, you are.”

Regular park go-ers begin to trickle in as they gradually open the main turnstiles back up. Her friends laugh, ribbing her, and she clings to Ben’s arm, telling herself this is just a regular date, even if she’s lying to herself. Her life really is different now.

*

 **KOB_OfficialUK** @KOB_OfficialUK 30m

Spotted by **@KelleyKelly** HRH Prince Ben and Miss Rey Kenobi are at Thorpe Park today!  pic.twitter.com/GHF987nmh #PrinceBen #ReyKenobi #onadate?

*  
They start at Vortex, Paige opting out of the spinning thrill ride. Ben whispers to her that pictures will be taken of them all day, so they needed to be aware of that. To spite anyone watching Rey makes a number of ugly faces that has Ben laughing heartily, kissing her forehead, amused by her antics. Quantum is next on the list, and Claudia leads them up the exit, stepping on the empty car despite the people waiting. Mitaka and their two guards take the back row, Jessika, Paige, and Kaydel take the next row with Candace, the reporter. Rey, Ben, Finn and Poe take the front row, and Peter and Rose take the front row across from them. “I’m taking my own pictures,” Rose tells them, taking a few snapshots.

Rey looks to all the empty seats then to all the people waiting, calling for the employee to wait. “There’s still plenty of room,” she tells them, and he looks confused. The crowd cheers, applauds, as if she told them they were all getting new cars. A family of four takes the row behind Rose and Peter, and the mother tells her children to say hi to Prince Ben and tell Rey thank you. They wave to them and Rey waves back, Ben lifts his hand, closest to a wave he’ll get. A group of teens takes the next row, and a family of three hop in the back, they all wave to Rey like she’s made their vacation. During the course of the flying carpet like ride, Poe and Finn talk Ben’s ear off, asking his intentions towards Rey, and something along the lines of a kneecap threat comes from Finn, if Ben hurts her. She glares over at them, a silent reminder that she doesn’t need them to protect her, but she appreciates it all the same. She always wondered what it would be like to have brothers that would protect her, now she knew.

Next comes Zodiac and Rey is all too happy to crawl into a cage with Ben, sitting in his lap comfortably. “Are you having fun?” he asks, as they wait for the rest of the cars to be loaded, closed, and secured.

“I am. It’s just strange, all these people waving at me, tell me I’m gorgeous…”

“You are,” he points out, and she smacks his thigh.

“It’s a bit overwhelming but if you can do it, then I can do it,” she resolves, craning her neck to kiss him, she can hear people cooing at them, probably taking pictures. “Are my friends scaring you? How are you doing?”

“A solid 8,” he instantly replies. “They’re fine. No different than my own family, invasive, intrusive, that Finn and Poe are particularly protective of you. Rose has yet to say anything to me.”

The young employee comes around to secure the date, visibly vibrating out of her skin as she does, likely trained not to acknowledge that she knows who they are, but still wanting to say something. “On a side note, if we ever get married, Disney World honeymoon, you and me.”

He chuckles, kissing her head as the ride begins to move forward. “Note made.”

After Zodiac comes Colossus, much to Rose’s chagrin as she tries to drag them, towards Saw-the Ride. Candace uses the walking time to pose questions to them, asking inane things like their favorite colors and foods. “Very important to our teen readers,” she informs them. She asks what designer Rey is wearing and she defers to Paige on that question, focusing on Ben and his absurd height, posing the inquiry of him being to tall for their first coaster.

“Weren’t complaining about my height last night,” he whispers in her ear, and she snorts, pinching his arm playfully. Ben chooses to sit this one out, just to be safe, and Rey promises she’ll be back in five minutes. “I know, sweetheart.”

Mitaka goes with Rey while the other two guards stay with Ben. Paige and Kaydel sit Colossus out, Candace stays behind to talk to Ben, getting more information for her article, so the rest of them race ahead with their park guide up the exit, waiting for a car to unload. “You two are cute together,” Rose compliments, “but eventually you’ll have to unstick from his side so I can interrogate him, properly.”

“I’m unstuck right now,” she beams, pushing them towards the ride, pulling Rose down into the seat next to her.

*

“It’s only 14:00 and I swear we’ve ridden every ride in this park,” Finn awes, ringing out his shirt as they exit Rumba Rapids, more people waving as they pass by. “Going up the exit is officially the coolest thing in the universe. Remind me to go to every theme park with you, your highness.”

“I told you just to call me Ben.”

“Yeah, how exactly does that all work? You’re a Prince. So what do people that work for you call you?” Poe asks, wrapping his arms around Finn like a soaking wet backpack, much to Finn’s dismay. They’ve been trying to edge in conversation with Ben since they arrived at the park, Rey knows, and she’s been a bit of a barrier between them; though they’ve managed to catch a few words here and there on rides, with Rey right there. Not that she doesn’t want them to get to know the man she’s dating, it’s just, she’s afraid, anxious, that they’ll say she has no right being in this relationship. Even though it’s completely bonkers, she’s partially afraid of what they’ll say, and she’s even more afraid she’ll agree. Not that she’ll tell them as much, instead, she’ll keep it all inside, crossing her fingers that all goes well. Rose seems to sense her anxieties, always having a sixth sense for these type of things when it came to Rey.

Paige and Kaydel have refused to tell her what the three discussed while she rode Colossus, and it’s been a thorn in Rey’s side since. She has a feeling Paige talked to him like it was her job, and not as her friend. She doesn’t want to think it, but she can’t help the little voice in her head that wonders.

“Sir, mainly, or your royal highness. Commonly, Prince Ben, occasionally Prince Solo, depends on the person,” he answers, putting his hand up to a set of wide-eyed twins who unabashedly gawk at them.

Rose slides in, hip checking Finn and Poe aside to stand closest. “So if you and Rey ever got married, what would her title be?”

“Rose!” Rey exclaims; she kind of loves the girl because she knows she’s try to lighten the air. Rose, however, ignores her, spurred on by their other girlfriends who probably already knew the answer, but just wanted to hear it be said.

“She would be a Princess, as well as Duchess of Cambridge. If I ascend to King, she will be Queen, in which case, it’s majesty and not highness. There is certain legislations in place that can be pushed to mark Rey as Princess Consort, as opposed to Queen. Now, it’s different for men marrying into the royal family. My father will never be given the title King even when my mother ascends the throne. She will be Queen and he will be Prince Consort. My sister is stylized as HRH, her daughter is not, neither is my cousin Anakin,” he explained, pulling Rey close to avoid collision with a trash bin.

They fall into a volley of questions after that, asking Ben random things about his life, and if he ever slid down the banister at Buckingham Palace; that was a resounding no. They asked if Rey had spent the night in the Palace yet, which was also a no. Finn asks where Rey would live if--and he emphasizes the if with a warning grasp of Ben’s forearm--they got married and Ben answers they’d live in Kensington Palace instead of his Cambridge home. Finn brings up the subject of Hogwarts houses next, stepping back dramatically when they told him Ben was a Slytherin.

“Rey! You can’t date a Slytherin!” Finn asserts, and Paige shoves him.

“We Slytherins have all the fun, I approve,” she says.

They catch sight of a drink stand, wandering off towards it, declaring the various drinks they wanted to get. Rey made to follow them when Ben grabs her arm, pulling her aside for a moment of privacy. Pointedly, their protection for the day surrounds them, placing them in their own little man made cubby to speak to each other. “How do you feel about Scotland for Christmas?”

“...Scotland?” she blinks.

“We’re, my family, is going to Holyrood Palace for Christmas and I thought you might like to join.”

“Oh,” Rey looks to her friends who are curiously looking back, heads in various states of eavesdropping tilts. “Well, you see, we kind of have traditions. We swap gifts and pretend like Poe didn’t spike the eggnog and watch bad Christmas movies till we fall asleep in horrendous christmas theme regalia and sleeping bags and--”

“You can still do all of that, if you’d like. I’m sure we can extend an invite to your friends.”

“Wait, like, all my friends? You have met them, haven’t you?”

He chuckles. “Yes, they’re standing right there, sipping on souvenirs straws like children.” The lot of them turn around whistling off key, eyes looking anywhere but the couple.

“You’re not subtle,” she calls over to them, and Finn retorts, “We can’t hear you!” in singsong.

“I’d like to spend Christmas with you, would you like to spend Christmas with me?” Ben questions, drawing her attention back to him.

Rey smiles, kind of endeared to how sure Ben was that in a few months time they’d still be steady, ready to spend a hols together. All her worries from before seem to wash away in a waterfall over her head, leaving only the swelling of her heart. “I would love to spend Christmas with you, Ben Solo.”

*  
**SCENE** @SCENEMag 5h

Exclusive: HRH Prince Ben, Duke of Cambridge, stepped out with girlfriend, Rey Kenobi, and her friends at Thorpe Park today. Full article and pictures of their fun under the sun. bit.ly/VNG98lu

 **James Appleby** @AppleBoyJohnny 4h  
Replying to **@SCENEMag**

I actually got to ride Nemesis Inferno with them! Rey Kenobi is the sweetest person. She made sure people got to get on rides. Not have to wait longer.She’ll be an amazing princess. #PeoplesPrincess

 **Diedra Wilks** @WorkingMother4 4h  
Replying to **@SCENEMag** , **@AppleBoyJohnny**

Agree! My 6 and 8 year old daughters wanted to ride Tidal Wave with a real princess. Rey Kenobi walked right over, took their hands, and let them sit up next to her and HRH Prince Ben. They talked her ear off. She was nothing but nice. I bought the souvenir picture as soon as the ride was over. #PeoplesPrincess

 **Klarissa Laurynn** @KlarissaExplainsItAll 3h  
Replying to **@SCENEMag**

…..am I the only one that thinks Rey Kenobi is NOT fit to be a Princess of England? She looks like rubbage. Just some common girl HRH Prince Ben picked up at the pub. I give it one more week.

 **Padme Luis** @NamedfortheQueen 3h  
Replying to **@KlarissaExplainsItAll**

Yes, yes, you are the only person that thinks that. Rey Kenobi is a precious human person. #PeoplesPrincess

 **Finn Dameron** @FN2187 2h

Found out today HRH Prince Ben likes Burger King! Who would have thought? Such an amazing bloke to get to know!

 **Finn Dameron** @FN2187 1h

POE! STOP CHANGING MY SURNAME TO DAMERON!

 **Poe Dameron** @BestDamnRacer 1h  
Replying to **@FinnDameron**

...I have no idea what you’re talking about.

 **Poe Dameron** @BestDamnRacer 30m  
Replying to **@FinnTico**

…..That’s just cruel, Finn….below the belt even. I am wounded.

 **Rose Tico** @GalaxyGuardianRose 30m  
Replying to **@BestDamnRacer** , **@FinnTico**

HA! I win!

*

“Rey! You’re on the telly!” Finn yells, turning up the telly as she walks into the room, looking at the young woman on the screen.

_“...Saturday His Royal Highness Prince Ben Solo stepped out for his first public outing with new consort, Rey Kenobi at Thorpe Park. That evening, Twitter was flooded with stories of interactions with the Royal Family’s newest sweethearts. The tag #PeoplesPrincess became trending overnight when video of Rey Kenobi’s varying actions towards the public began to surface…"_

Rey lowered to the couch as grainy video, shot from afar played of her holding the hands of the two little girls, Zahara and Aisha, leading them to the boat like contraption that was the vehicle for the ride. They had looked so disappointed when their turn was cut off by the royal procession came up the exit to take the next boat, the lines were already an hour long, and there was no telling how long they’d been waiting. Rey had acted on instinct when she invited them to ride. They had been the cutest thing, asking if she’d worn a tiara yet, or big diamonds, and if she played dress up with all the pretty jewels.

“You’re on youtube too,” Finn adds, pulling up the Clevver youtube channel.

_#peopleprincess Why Rey Kenobi is winning over the world_

Below that is a Buzzfeed video that declares: _Top 5 pictures from Thorpe Park that prove #Reylo is the cutest royal couple._

“Guess the eyes of the world really are on me now,” Rey says in awe. From someone who had been nobody, with nothing to call her own to somebody that everyone wanted to love. It was astounding.

It also gave her an idea.

*

**‘People’s Princess’ Rey Kenobi volunteered her time at underfunded, Niima Outpost, soup kitchen on Tuesday reminding the country why she’s already beloved.**

  * Rey Kenobi arrived at Niima Outpost just past 11am on Tuesday.
  * The 22 year old consort of HRH Prince Ben came totting hot foods the kitchen normally couldn’t afford
  * Rey then proceeded to serve the people
  * A donation of 50000 pounds was donated to the soup kitchen from the royal family in her name
  * Rey Kenobi’s appearance at the soup kitchen has caused an outpouring of donations
  * Five local soup kitchens are reporting a near 10% increase since Tuesday.



By: Hailey Miller for **Dailymail.co.uk**

*

“Tonight, we raise our glasses to our friend Rey, who just secured a job at Harrison Autos, a dream job compared to Richards,” Rose toasts, holding up her glass. “And to our first girls night sleepover since May, we have been remiss.”

The group collectively chants here, here, before taking a sip of the chardonnay they’d pulled from the shelves of Tesco. “It’s not a dream job,” Rey clarifies after swallowing. “It’s mainly reception work, data entry, note taking during design meetings..”

“Design meetings where you can sneak your input in,” Rose amends for her. “You’re one step closer to be a designer, Rey, and it’s amazing. I’m so proud of you,” she spews, hugging Rey around the middle, poking one of the penguins at Rey’s midsection. Rey squirms, looking at her friends all decked out in the dorkiest pajamas they owned. Rose’s featured teddy bears, while Paige showcased Piglet pajamas, Jessika lay on her back, legs kicked up on the couch, baring her rubber duckies for all to see while Kaydel sported out of season gingerbread pajamas. It was nice, nostalgic, even though their last girl’s month had been mid-May. However, when Rey did the math, she realized it had been nearly four months since they just had time together. No girlfriends, no boyfriends, no relationships, just each other, being absolute nutters in each other presence.

They had demanded the sleepover when Rey announced that she had gotten the job at Harrison Autos. Harrison fell under the same umbrella as Richards, and the head hiring manager had called her specifically after her termination from Richards. The woman, Rebecca, expressed interest in her based on her resume, and her impressive volunteer work, and assured her she was only one of several candidates. Her claim to fame would have no bearing on her employment.

Even though it was a reception job, hundreds of engineer students like her were tripping over themselves to have the job. It was a foot in the door, a chance for someone to walk by and see more. It was a chance to network, and further one's career through internal promotion. Rey gave the interview of her lifetime, refusing to steer away from questions about Ben, knowing that sweeping her new life under the rug would do her no favors. She presented her relationship with Ben as she did her job, it was a challenge, everyday to know that the media was watching her. Even though she was in a relationship with a prince, nothing was handed to her, and she didn’t want it handed to her, she wanted to work for her dues.

In the end, they respected what they were presented. Now, here she was, celebrating the next phase of her life with cheap wine and friends. “Ladies, I think tonight calls for a round of Never Have I Ever!” Paige tells them, grabbing the bottle to refill their glasses.

Rey narrows her eyes on her, recognizing the ploy to get Rey to open up about her sex life with Ben. The problem with dating a Prince, and having friends that work for a trendy magazine was she didn’t know what was on the record or off the record anymore. She’d seen the SCENE article, read it, and essentially everything Ben had said to Paige or Jessika had appeared in quotes from friends. She loved her friends, but she knew with this new life, came an extension of them that was all work. Rey was technically their job. “It’s not going to work, Paige.”

“You don’t have to play, Rey, but, I think a penalty should be in order. Something like prank calling your boyfriend’s mother,” she beamed, joking. Rey knew Paige would never actually make her do it, she was just playing to Rey’s sense of never backing down from a challenge. When she saw that glint, that spark that meant Rey was in, she passed the baton Jessika.

“Never have I ever, given a man oral,” Jessika started, clearly in cahoots with Paige.

Rey narrows her eyes, slowly bringing her wine to her lips, taking a drink to the cheer of her friends. There was nothing they could really do with the information if she refused to elaborate. Paige soon sputters when Rose also takes a tentative drink, avoiding eye contact with her older sister. “I’m not a nun, Paige, I’ve had sex.”

“You’re meant to stay pure forever,” she whines, hugging her close, bringing out the crocodile tears. “My perfect baby sister.”

At the very least, that distracts the group from prying further into the oral question. Kaydel’s turn came, pondering for a moment before posing the question. “Never have I ever sent someone a nude.”

Only Jessika and Paige drank to that one, looking disappointed at Rey. Rey shrugs. Truth was, she had thought about sending pictures to Ben when he was away, or stuck long hours at First Order, but now, she couldn’t be sure that Holdo didn’t have their phones chipped, monitored; that would be humiliating.

Rey came next and smiled innocently as she said, “Never have I ever had a crush on a coworker,” forcing Jessika and Paige to drink again, Kaydel also took a sip, then it was Rose’s turn.

“Never have I ever slept in the nude,” she says and everyone in the circle takes a drink.

“You’ve really not slept naked? Even after doing the tango?” Jessika asked, Paige thanking her for putting it delicately.

Rose lifted her shoulders. “I feel so dirty afterward, so I clean up and usually put on a shirt or something before getting into bed. If I can change the sheets, I do that too.”

“Please tell me your drink is because you sleep naked with Prince Ben,” Kaydel asked, looking at Rey like a dog waiting for a treat.

“.....I sleep naked with Ben,” she tells them, and the game continues in a tennis like manner of her and Paige trying to force each other to drink, a silent good natured power struggle for alpha female. Who will make the other yield.

“Never have I ever had sex with a Prince of England.”

“Never have I ever made out with my best friend.”

“Never have I ever met the Queen of England.”

“Never have I ever had sex at my office…” Rey smirks with victory on that one, looking to Jessika who smacked Paige’s arm.

“You told her about that?!”

And on it goes till they finish the bottle, too tired to keep antagonizing each other over their sex lives. They find the third Bring It On movie on Netflix and turn it on, setting up in their respective sleeping spots to let the wine take them where it will. Rey lays with her head in Rose’s lap, and Rose obliges, running fingers through her hair as they watch the movie.

Rey is half asleep, groggy, watching as the blonde cheerleader and her love interest kiss on a rooftop, when she mutters, “I think I might love him.”

“He’s a really great guy,” Rose replies immediately.

“Because he’s a Prince?”

“Because he makes you happy,” Rose corrects and she moving, wriggling under Rey till she’s done whatever she’s doing, coming back to rest properly so Rey is comfortable once again. She has her phone in hand. She’s pulled up the SCENE article, and pulls up the first picture of her and Ben at the front entrance, water in the background, a peak of the Shark themed hotel behind them. Ben looks at Rey like she’s his world, and she realizes she’s never seen herself from an outsider’s perspective before.

Rose slides her finger over the screen, showing her the assortment of pictures Peter, the photographer, had taken that day. Her and Ben chatting while they waited in the cage on Zodiac, them laughing with each other as they enjoyed some Ben and Jerry’s. Ben watching Rey as she led Zahara and Aisha to sit with her on Tidal Wave. Every shot shows the same look, as if Ben is the Earth and Rey is the sun and he can’t help but be bathed in her light. She loves the way he’s looking at her, and when she looks closer, she sees the same look on her own face. If she’s the sun then Ben is the moon, they’re working in perfect tandem, balancing each other out, and she closes her eyes as her heart does a somersault in her chest. Rey half expects to look down to see it attempting to climb out.

“I was scared you guys would think he’s to good for me, that I…”

Rose seems to get it, and shushes her gently.

“It’s just...it’s not fast? We’re barely going on four months, but everytime I’m with him…”

“Well, sure, it’s fast, but who says that’s a bad thing? I had a crush on Finn the first time I met him, remember? And Poe basically fell in love at first sight, and it’s been almost four years now, and he’s still falling over himself around Finn. There aren’t really rules to loving someone, Rey. Don’t let anyone tell you, you can’t be in love with him after four months, because you can, because it’s your heart, not theirs.

When I talked to Ben, at the park, I could just tell you were special to him. You’re not just another girl to him, you’re special to him Rey. I really think he loves you.”

Rey turns, hugging Rose around the middle, crying quietly into the cotton of her pajamas.

“The important question is, do you just ever lay back in bed and think, oh my god, I just had sex with a prince?”

Rey laughs, bursting, snorting laughter that had Rose laughing with her. “The very first time, actually, yes, I did.”

They quiet down a few seconds later, Rose’s fingers resuming their ministrations.

“....I hope he feels the same way about me,” Rey confesses and Rose scoffs as if Rey is saying the most obvious thing in the world.

“He does,” Rose reiterates.

*

 **Harold Gaines** @HaroldGaines89 2h

I just sat next to Rey Kenobi on Thameslink. No exaggeration. She is the most down to Earth person. HRH Prince Ben needs to marry her, yesterday. #PeoplesPrincess

 **Harold Gaines** @HaroldGaines89 2h

We talked about robotics, it was the geekiest conversation I’ve ever had during a commute. She knows her stuff.

 **Harold Gaines** @HaroldGaines89 2h

We did get off at the same stop, no, I’m not telling anyone WHAT stop that was, or where I got on. Don’t stalk the poor girl.

*

Ben held her hand as they walk into the office of Dr. Annalise Kensley. If there was any question about Ben’s feelings for her, Rey thought this more than belayed any concerns she had. No man would bring their girlfriend with them to therapy if they weren’t serious about them, especially when it was regular therapy for something that was rather private to his person.

Dr. Kensley is a sharp dressed woman in a pair of slacks with a floral blouse, her dirty blonde hair is loose around her face, and she greets them as if they’re old friends, shaking Rey’s hand as if she’d known her since childhood. She doesn’t shake Ben’s hand but offers him the sofa, and Ben takes the wheel, escorting her over to the black sofa to sit down, while Dr. Kensely takes a seat in a red cushioned chair, crossing her legs, clipboard on her lap. “Miss Rey Kenobi, I’ve heard so much about you,” she starts. “How do you feel being under the limelight? Seems you’re trending practically everyday on Twitter. Must feel like Atlas, carrying the weight of the world when everyone is watching your every move.”

“Wow...jumping into this aren’t we?” Rey chuckles nervously, looking to Ben. “I mean, it's taxing...having all these people suddenly know my name. I can’t take the train without someone wanting to shake my hand, but at least that’s better than just standing there, looking at me. It kind of makes me understand why Ben asked me out when I didn’t know who he was. Somedays I dont want to leave the house just to avoid people staring at me. On the upside, I can use the media attention to my benefit, to help group hopes, soup kitchens, hospitals, all these places I personally experienced when I was a homeless kid, I now have the ability to bring attention to.”

Dr. Kensley hums, making notes. “Does it make you question your relationship?”

“...not at all,” Rey told her assuredly, sitting taller. “That’s one thing I’m secure in about all this. Ben is amazing. His family is amazing. We’re going riding with his dad next Saturday, and I’m having lunch with his mom and sister on Sunday. It’s new, but I like it. His family has really worked to make me feel like I belong. Really, it’s like the family I never had.”

Dr. Kensley writes, nodding. “And how are you feeling, Ben?”

“I’d give her the world if she asked.”

“And you don’t feel like it’s codependency? Using Rey as your buoy? Your life raft?”

“In a sense, but it’s not like that’s all she is to me. I enjoy laying on the sofa, watching Netflix with her, walking the Thames with her, laying in bed with her, everything just makes me feel happy, like, for the first time in my life everything feels balanced in my head. I’m not afraid I’m going to hurt myself anymore.”

Rey wants to tell Ben she loves him right then and there, but holds off as Dr. Kensley carries on the sessions with questions on their sex life, and the frequency of sex, and the roles of dominant versus submissive in the acts. She thinks it’s a positive thing that Ben acts as Rey’s own anchor when she has nightmares, generally about her parents leaving her. They move on to how Ben is coping with his father, and if they’ve made progress in mending their relationship. She asserts going riding is a solid step forward, but she encourages him to text Han, call him regularly just to say hello to the man. They talk about Ben’s relationship with his mother, and Dr. Kensley seems proud of him for the answers he gives. She nods when he tells her about Japan, and the time he spent with Jaina and Emilyn, and expresses concern when he says he has no desire to talk to his Uncle Luke beyond pleasantries. The footnote to her discussion of his family is to ask if he’s been visiting Jacen as often as he use to. “I go once a month now,” he tells her, and she seems pleased.

They briefly talk on Rey’s family life, and asks if Maz has been involved in their relationship. Rey relays that Maz gives her input when they visit Galactic City, and thus far she’s been approving of all aspects, future and present. Dr. Kensley poses the scenario of Rey’s biological parents reappearing in her life now that she’s a public figure; if they’re still living that is. Rey readily admits that she doesn’t know how she’d react till they were standing right in front of her.

At the end of the session, Dr. Kensley asks for a moment to speak with Rey alone, and Ben leaves the room. Rey reaches out for him, confused for a whole minute before Dr. Kensley pulls out a few pamphlets from under her notes, handing them to Rey. Everything becomes clear when she sees the titles. “You’ve done wonderfully with asking Ben his moods by a number system, he relayed that to me and I was quite happy to hear that. From my understanding you’ve seen his downs, but he tells me you haven’t encountered his rage yet.”

“Well..no..he doesn’t want me to see him like that,” she tells her, opening the pamphlet on family and dealing with bipolar disorder.

“If this relationship continues to progress as I think it will, you will eventually see one, and I want you to be armed properly for that. The first thing you should know is it will be scary, and it’s best to mentally prepare yourself for that. He might say many hurtful things that he doesn’t necessarily mean. His brain is going to lash out at anyone and anything near him..”

Rey looks at the information, seeing that one of the steps of dealing with a loved one with bipolar induced rage is telling them calmly that you’re frightened, which can help to dilute the anger. It also instructs her to try and remain composed, even if she feels like she’s going to cry, it says to try and hide the emotion from a person experiencing rage.

“If he leaves the room, let him leave, don’t try to go after him. Let him vent far away from you. If he yells at you, don’t try and argue, just try to understand what he’s saying even if it’s irrational.”

“How can I tell when something is because of me or because of his condition,” she asks, reading the paragraph that suggest she try to internally determine the source of his rage.

“A good idea is to first check his medication to make sure he’s taken it. You know where he keeps them,” Rey nods. “Generally, with Bipolar Disorder the smallest thing can set a person off, especially if he hasn’t taken his medication that morning. It can be as simple as a speck of dirt on the telly screen, or something you say offhandedly without realizing it,” Dr. Kensley tells her, writing something on a piece of paper before handing it to Rey. “This is my phone number, you can call me if you feel overwhelmed. Now, it’s important that if you feel like you’re in danger, please leave. People experiencing bipolar rage can act in ways they normally wouldn’t..”

“He could hit me, you mean,” Rey clarifies. She always told herself she’d leave a man that ever raised a hand to her. But like her parents, the thought lingers in her head that she doesn’t know what she’d do when the situation arises. “Did Ben ask you to tell me all this?”

“He asked that I give you the same information I gave his parents after he was diagnosed. If you’re scared, and confused as to what to do then you can call me, and I’ll walk you through it,” Dr. Kensley offers and Rey thanks her, rising from her seat to shake her hand.

********

She should have known it’d happen sooner rather than later, but she’d kind of hoped it would happen later. Ben had gone out for a drink with his father--tea, pointedly he hadn’t drank alcohol not wanting to be inebriated with Han--and Rey had met him at his home for their date night. As usual, she’d asked his mood, and he said he was a solid six, and that things had gone quite well with his father, better than it’s been. He doesn’t tell her what they talked about but he seems in good spirits until suddenly he’s not.

It’s not even volcanic, slow boiling till it begins to pour over. It’s more like a shaken soda, sitting there, gentle, benign, flat, until suddenly the cap is open and soda is spewing out in ways you can’t stop. Ben is like that, sitting next to her, letting her lean against him, indulging in chinese take-out and Cupcake Wars and the next he’s slamming down his fork, kicking the coffee table hard enough that it skids harshly against the wooden floors.

Rey looks at him and he snaps. “Stop looking at me! FUCK!” he yells, fists clenching. He demands that she turn the telly off with several expletives and she does so slowly but it doesn’t calm him. He’s on his feet, pacing the floor, holding his head and she tries to remember the information, tries to pinpoint first what could have made him mad. All that had happened on the TV was that someone had dropped several cupcakes, she couldn’t see anything there that could have caused this, so it was safe to say this was irrational, but she didn’t know how to approach that. She remembers one of the brochures had said to comply to simple things--like turning off the telly--and not to give into any demands she was uncomfortable with.

“Ben, please..” she says gently, calmly, then he’s turning on her, a rapid beast looking for a kill.

“Shut the fuck up, for one fucking second!” he curses. “All you fucking do is talk and talk and talk and I can’t fucking stand it! Just stop talking..stop looking at me like I’m not a broken fucking toy that needs to be fixed. I’m not your fucking project!”

She doesn’t say anything, she just scoots back to the edge of the sofa, watching with wide eyes as he kicks the table repeatedly, as if he’s unable to stop till it’s broken. He continues with the obscenities, yelling at her, belittling her and she’s terrified, because for one frightening, hook on a door second, she wonders if this is how he really feels about her. Especially when he’s moving towards her, and her eyes close, body ready for the impact of a hit that never comes, instead, it hits the wall and framed art shakes. He punches the wall repeatedly, this time cursing his father, then his mother in a slew of things that make no sense. There’s something about Jacen in there, and she hears him say it’s all his fault. It’s as if his brain is trying to find equilibrium for his anger, turning the rage on any one person, trying to find a source that makes sense, but not finding clarity in any of it.

“Ben,” she tries again in a whisper. “You’re scaring me.”

He turns, eyes wide, as if the words have split the red sea of his anger, and suddenly he has enough frame of mind to leave the room, stomping upstairs till he can slam a door shut. Once he’s out of view, she lets loose the tears she’d be holding back, letting them flow down her face as she goes for her purse and the phone number within, dialing it with shaking fingers.

Dr. Kensley picks up on the second ring and Rey launches into an explanation of the current situation, shaking as she relays everything Ben has done in a matter of five minutes. “He’s taken his medication, correct? He visited his father this morning, a stresser could have made him lapse.”

Rey checks, going to the kitchen to find Ben’s pills, ever present by the Keurig so he never forgets. She has to think what day it is for a moment before replying to the negative. “No..no, he forgot,” she says.

“Okay, Okay,” Dr. Kensley says, trying to keep her voice placating to keep Rey calm. “I want you to take them to the room he’s in with a glass of water. Put them outside the door and let him know they’re there and walk away, can you do that?”

“Y-yeah, I can do that,” she says, holding the phone with her shoulder, going to grab a glass to fill with tap water. “How long do they take to work?”

“Varies, can be anywhere from 30 minutes or more, but they can also have a placebo effect in his brain. He’ll acknowledge that he took them, so his brain starts to wind down in preparation of the medicine kicking in. You can keep me on the phone, if you’d like,” Dr. Kensley offers as Rey hurries up the stairs to Ben’s room, flinching when she hears something break that she thinks might be the black lamp on his nightstand.

She places the pills, and water down outside his door, not knocking but calling gently, “Ben? Ben, you forgot to take your medicine this morning, so I’m going to leave it right outside, okay?”

She steps away after, hurrying out of line of sight of the door, sighing in relief when she hears it open and close in quick succession; Dr. Kensely tells her she’s doing great. “What do I do after he seems calm?”

“You can sit outside the door, talk to him, In most states of hypomanic rage, a person is going to start experiencing a low, especially after taking their medication. Ben is likely to start feeling regret, guilt, he’s going to blame himself and he’s likely going to cry, a lot, and this is his brain trying to even itself back out. Just listen, comment, very light assurances because in this state he’s not going to believe most things you say. You want to be reassuring but not adamant, if he wants to go to sleep then let him. If he wants to sleep alone, then let him, it’s not because of you. Tomorrow, when he’s back in a most stable frame of mine, openly discuss what he’s said or did that frightened you, can you do that?”

“Y-yeah, I think I can handle that.”

“Do you want me to stay on the phone with you?” she offers, and Rey shakes her head.

“No, I think I can do this.”

“Alright, call me if you have anymore questions,” Dr. Kensley said before hanging up, leaving Rey to traisp onwards alone. A lone knight into the battle of Ben’s mind.

She takes residence against the wall right outside his bedroom door, resting her head there, listening for sounds within. Rey doesn’t know what to say, or if she should talk first or let Ben make the first move. She does, however, close her eyes, and allow time to pass. It could have been seconds, or minutes, or hours before the door opens, and her eyes snap open to see Ben standing there, eyes red, puffed from exertion. “Ben…”

“Are you okay?” he asks, frantic, a terrified bunny in the jaws of a fox, before she gets the chance to ask him, as if she’s the one hurt by her own mind.

“I’m fine, you just scared me is all,” she says evenly, standing up, straightening out her clothes.

“I’m sorry. I’m...I should have made sure I took my pills this morning, I shouldn’t be this careless, not with you...I could have hurt you,” he tells her, stepping back in silent invitation for her to enter the bedroom. She does, and he doesn’t close the door. “I’m a monster….this thing inside me..it tears me apart..,” he says, walking over to the bed to fall to it, putting his head in his hands, silently weeping. She can see that it was the lamp that broke, and appears to be the only thing broken save for his knuckles. “I punched my dad, once...three years ago...during an episode. I just...he never blamed me but I hurt people and I’ll hurt you and I just…”

“Ben, you’re not going to hurt me. You didn’t hurt me,” she contends, sitting next to him on the bed; their bed.

“I yelled at you for shit I can’t even remember why, I just did it, and you don’t deserve that.”

“You’re right, I don't,” she agreed, and he deflated, like a balloon, flattening as much as the hulking man could. “But if we ever live together this will be a part of our lives. It’s always going to be a part of your life, our lives, and yes, it’s terrifying, I’ve never seen you like that..”

“I don't want you to see me like that….like this…”

“Can I touch you?” she asks, and waits till he gives her permission to take his hand, squeezing it. “Remember, when I had those nightmares and I accidentally kicked you? You held me, and chased my demons away. I know I can’t always be there immediately to hold you, but when you’re feeling better, I can help then. I can be here now to hold you,” she tells him, using her free hand to pull him close, letting him lay his head on her shoulder. Holding him as he lay there, silently processing his own emotions, letting them do as they will, it seems like the only thing she can do. The image of a younger Ben, scared, alone, dealing with this on his own, not knowing what was wrong him, it hurts even her. This is something no person should have to brave in solitude.

“I love you,” Ben whispers, and it’s not exactly how Rey pictured confessing their feelings to each other; crying as they ride over the crest of his mental teardown.

It doesn’t stop her from automatically replying, “I love you too.”

This thing is a mountainous dune in the middle of the desert, taller than Everest in their minds, it’s something neither have them can scale alone. Even if it’s the most earth shattering, terrifying thing she’s ever stared up the face at, she’ll stick it out, as long as they’re together.

Together, they’re not alone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading! I hope you all enjoyed this chapter and I'll hope you stick around for the next. I know the end was rough, but I really wanted to include a scene where Ben's Bipolar disorder was a forefront hurdle they needed to overcome instead of something just mentioned in whispers. I promise, it's smooth sailing after this!
> 
> Thank you again for any comments, kudos, and bookmarks. I appreciate every single one!


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you, again for all the lovely comments and all the kudos! I appreciate them all! Here is the new chapter!
> 
> Disclaimer that I don't actually know anything about motorcycles and had to do a fair bit of googling, so I apologize if anything is wrong.
> 
> Please do enjoy!

“We have the whole shop to ourselves?” Rey inquires, looking around at the expanse of bikes, expanding further than she could see. An array of blues, reds, whites and blacks at different heights, lengths, wheel bases that make her want to purr like a kitten with nip. Dating royalty had its perks if she got to be amongst all these bikes alone.

She promptly strides towards a red Ducati, the one she’d seen the ad for a thousand times over, and never imagined she’d actually get to touch. Yet, here she was, running her hand over the leather seat the steel frame trellis, it’s colored dash, it’s beautiful new rubber tires that smell like heaven. She thinks she could make love to this bike, or make love on it, either way, she wants to straddle, to ride, on this bike. The only downside is the astronomical 17000 pound price tag that would have any sane person balking. “Beautiful, isn’t she?” the salesman says, showing her the quickshift feature, discussing the changed aspects of the 1260 that he feels makes it superior to the 950.

“I had a quadjumper when I was younger, the base was a Honda, the parts came from every bike imaginable,” she tells him, not saying no to at least sitting on the bike when the salesman tells insists she try it on for size. Rey throws her leg over the machine without hesitation, grabbing the handle bars, closing her eyes as she imagines zooming through the streets of London at top speed. “Brilliant.”

“Let’s take them out,” Han suggest, breaking her out of her fantasy. “Can you grab us the keys?”

The salesman obliges and she looks to both Ben and Han as if they’re joking. “We can’t just take out a couple 17000 pound bikes…”

“Pretty sure we can,” Han shrugs casually, wondering over to look at helmets. Ben sidles up to her, leaning against the edge of the bike, smiling at her disbelief.

“Companies like Ducati, pay to have people like us ride their bikes…”

“People like us,” Rey repeats, tasting the phrase out, finding it unsettling. Taking things for free seemed so wrong when so much money went into making them, and they had the money to spare to pay for them.

“You get use to it, kiddo. Being part of the royal family is like living in a completely different world, people are going to offer you things because people will buy things they see you use, wear, ride,” Han communicates to her, motioning to the bike. “Just look at all the girls who style their hair like you now. By this time tomorrow, Ducati will be flooded with orders for these bikes. There was a even a time where every guy in the country wore a vest because I wore one..”

“Ugly brown thing,” Ben whispers to her, twirling his finger around the edge of her hair.

“Hey, you liked that vest when you were a baby,” Han argues, digging out his wallet, pulling out a wallet size polaroid, showing it to Rey to prove his point. The picture shows a small Ben maybe four or five, wearing the oversized vest and no shirt, over pants that are two sizes to big, holding his arms up as if to be lifted by the person behind the camera. His hair was fuzzy and overgrown, and Rey can’t help but coo at the shot, even as Ben grouses discontentedly at his father waving pictures of him around. “I have pictures of him with Chewie too, all cuddle up in his fluff. Chewie was a puppy then, but still fairly large and Ben toted him around everywhere.”

“Han..we’re meant to be riding bikes..” Ben reminds and Han mutters to Rey about how he can go from dad to Han in a matter of seconds.

The salesman grabs the keys for three different test models, while Han picks out helmets with microphone system. “So we can talk as we drive!” he informs them.

Rey can hardly believe she gets the honor of straddling one of the amazing machines with the motor running. But that’s exactly what she does as the salesman leads them to the garage, opening it, motioning to the three bikes the keys go to.

A part of her just wants to race off into the sunset and leave her boyfriend and his father in her dust. Another part wants to forgo the helmet and take the sting of the wind, so that she can feel it in her hair. All that goes away when Ben starts his back, sidling up next to her with practiced ease. He straddles a black ducati, a multistrada like the one she’s on, wearing a black helmet embellished with silver detailing; she’s more than a bit turned on by the man at the moment. “You alright?” he calls, voice muffled by the durable plastic and she nods, pulling her hair back to slide on the helmet. The mic inside cackles for a minute before she can hear both Ben and Han, breathing, muttering, any noise they make really.

“Let’s go then, kids,” Han tells them through the built in system, kicking his bike into motion, driving out of the garage, turning out towards the Vauxhall Bridge. Ben waits for her to go before taking up the rear. She follows behind Han, loving the vibration of the bike between her knees, missing the way she used to zip down the streets in races. Today, isn’t about going fast, but enjoy the long ride, something like cross country riding, where they could just sit back and enjoy the view. Admittedly, thought, there’s nothing more she’d like to do then feel the full force of 158 hp between her legs.

“129.5 newton meters of torque,” she sighs romantically, leaning over the bike while they wait for the light, rubbing it’s smooth red body. “If it were possible to make love to a bike…” she mumbles to herself before recalling that both men could hear her. Han laughs, outright, while been chuckles in his amusement, quieter than his father, but almost indistinguishable in sound.

“You might have competition, Ben,” Han taunts, making the turn down Millbank, riding along the Thames, slow and steady, allowing Rey to take in the view of the buildings on the left and the water on the right. Ben points out Tate Britain as they pass, and they continue on all the way down Millbank, Big Ben drawing closer and closer. “Here’s where you two would get married,” Han points out Westminster Abbey as they pass, and Ben tells him to shut up. “What? Your mother would have it no other way.”

Rey gives a short giggle, looking up at Big Ben as they pass. “If this is Big Ben, does that make you little Ben?”

If possible, she feels Ben’s deadpanned look on her, while Han bursts out laughing, bending over in half in front of her, practically swerving into the oncoming traffic. “I’m crying,” he announces, turning them left, going down Birdcage Walk.

Ben tells his dad to lead the way towards Hyde Park. “I got ya, kid,” Han relays and they veer right down Grosvenor after passing Buckingham Palace; Han mocks salute as they drive by. They drive up till all Rey can see is the green of the park and if that’s where Ben is guiding them, she’s not saying no, she loves parks. Instead, he tells his dad to veer left and Han groans. “Come on, son, the Playboy club is right there,” he bemoans motioning to the cut of the road to the right of Hyde Park, but following the command regardless.

The road their on bares the sign Knightsbridge, and they continue along the park, water far forgotten behind them. “I’m going to run down to the market, meet you there,” Han tells them through their helmet communicator, revving his engine to speed ahead of traffic. Ben’s own engine revs and suddenly he’s pulling in front of her, taking the lead.

“Follow me.”

Rey does, looking as Ben points out the Royal college of Art, and the concert hall that accompanies it. He waves to the trees on the right, informing her that the paths she’s seeing now are part of the Kensington Gardens, which explains the number of tourists, despite the morning hour.

She’s glad she’s following him, because she would have completely missed the road that is apparently their destination. Ben pulls to a stop outside of a small brick gate where people walk through the open spots on either side. It doesn’t appear to be a thru road, and nobody else makes an attempt to turn down it as they wait; all the traffic is on foot. When they get an opening, Ben takes it, and Rey is right behind him turning to cross traffic, driving down the empty road, heeding Ben’s warning not to try and gun it down the road.

She follows all the way down, staying to the left when she sees a barrier splitting the road ahead until they’re pulling up next to a guard station where a man has stepped out, putting a hand out to signify they halt. “ID, please,” he asks, and Rey thinks this must be the staff, resident, entrance to the palace she sees just paces ahead of them.

Ben rests his leg on the ground, and Rey does the same, sitting there with the purring machine between her legs, watching as Ben reaching up to remove his helmet, letting the black waves of his hair free; she’s a little turned on, yet again. There was just something about seeing her boyfriend on a bike, while simultaneously being on her own that made arousal pool at her center. She never considered herself a one night kind of woman, but had she met Ben Solo during a street race, she has zero doubt in her mind she’d have bed him right then.

The guard stands at attention, saluting his prince, stepping aside. “Your highness.”

Rey removes her own helmet, shaking out her hair, trying to combat the helmet hair she’s sure to have. There’s a convenient space for the helmet, which is where she places it, stretching her arms over her head. “My father will be along shortly,” Ben informs him, and they’re given permission to pass. “We’re going to take the first right up here,” Ben calls to her, and she nods, smirking to herself when she catches his eyes going to her slightly exposed stomach; seems she wasn’t the only one affected by the ride.

He puts his bike into gear, leading her on to what she can only assume is the front door of the mighty abode.

*

“Should we be in here?” Rey asks, as Ben leads her through the gold ornate hall, up a flight of stairs. Somewhere, in the far distance she thinks she hears the sounds of people, a tour group. It’s almost 11 am, well past the time that most tours would have started, so it’s not far fetched.

“This apartment is reserved for me,” Ben explains, leading her further down the hall, frantically. She had been pretty urgent too, until he led her up the drive of Kensington Palace as if he owned the place, and in actuality, he kind of did.

“Your father..”

“Is having a couple drinks. I told him I was going to show you Kensington, so here we are,” he says nonchalantly.

Rey repeats in awe, “Yes, here we are.”

They both had come here for a reason, a reason that wouldn’t be deterred by grandeur. That being said, she grabs his hand, pulling him into the first room she finds. It turns out to be a bathroom, a large bathroom the size of her entire bedroom,kind of bathroom, but she gets no time to examine it in full as Ben catches on to her intentions, sweeping her off her feet into a mindblowing kiss, placing her atop a marble countertop. She responds in full, grasping his hair between her fingers, letting the vibrations of the motorbike wash through her again, letting all those feelings back to the surface as she lowers her hands to make quick work of his belt. She’d been turned on all morning, just riding through the streets, seeing Ben ride, riding next to him, the freedom it gave them, it was exhilarating.

Arriving at Kensington had been a quick dump of ice water over her head, but Ben had found a way to turn the heat on once again. Using his skilled fingers to unbutton her jeans before pulling out of their kiss, pointedly raising two of his fingers to his mouth to moisten them with his own saliva. He doesn’t break eye contact with her as his hand moves into her jeans, into her panties and down over her throbbing sex, stroking through her folds, up and down, up and down before he presses his middle finger inside her. “Yes,” she hisses, tugging him forward to burrow into his neck, biting at his throat as he moves the digit in and out of her rapidly, chasing their desire with precision thrusts.

The second finger follows, and she about breaks his skin in her ecstasy, moaning into his neck as he works her open. Her legs spread for him, offering as much room as he wants, and his thumb takes the chance to work her clit, making her body buck against him. “Ben...Ben..” she repeats over and over, thrusting against him till she starts to feel herself close. It’s her that stops him, smirking at the confused look that crosses his face when she tells him to pull out.

He moves away and she slides to her knees with a mischievous grin, pulling him free from the confines of his riding jeans. Her fingers wrap around his length, letting him know her intent, and the moan he lets out reminds her just who is in charge in this moment, and how much of himself he’s about to give over to her in the midst of their lust. Her mouth closes around him, and she will swear she can hear the moment his world explodes.

She quite enjoys being in charge.

*

Han is waiting outside for them, leaning against his bike with sodas, a smirk says he knows exactly what they were doing just five minutes ago. “I’m not judging, kid,” he says, handing the soda off to his son. “You were conceived on the Falcon. Had your mother laid out..”

“Please do not finish that sentence,” Ben cuts off, brushing past his father to get to his bike, casually slipping the soda as if he hadn’t just taken her from behind in front of a mirror. She wouldn’t be surprised if tourists had heard her screaming. She’s pretty sure, herself, that she’s never been that loud before.

Rey huffs in amusement to herself. Watching as Ben attempts to thwart his father’s attempts to recreate his conception in immense detail. Even as they stand in the looming, foreboding, shadow of a grand palace with history dating further back than she knows, these people are just family. Family that bug and irritate each other, and she loves them for it.

*

**Ducati UK** @DucatiUK 4m

A family who rides together, stay together! Ride in royal style with the Ducati Multistrada 1260 S Touring. Favored machine of Rey Kenobi, consort to HRH Prince Solo, Duke of Cambridge.

*

“What are the chances this quite fancy meal is a distraction?” Rey asks as they’re led by the maitre d into a private circular area, surrounded by a curtain of fiberoptic luminescent crystals. The table is set with white plates, patterned in red and green with matching glasses in the same shades, fun and playful if not a bit holiday like for this close to Fall.

Ben pulls her chair out, smiling impishly as she sits. “Distraction for what, sweetheart?”

Her eyes narrow as the maitre d leaves them, and Ben takes his own seat. “You can’t lie to me, Ben Solo. You know that and I know that, so what are they up to?”

“I will neither confirm or deny that Finn is planning a surprise party for you.”

“....I told them not to,” she sighs, running her hand through hair before remembering it was pinned in plaits, pulling her fingers away fast. Last year, they had thrown her a party, Twister and a game of strip poker had resulted. By the end of the night Finn had broken a chair, Poe had attempted to marry his dog, BB8, and Rose stole her bed, leaving her to nurse the crying Finn who cried that Poe would never marry him. Birthday parties were fun, until she had to take care of everyone.

“It’s your birthday, you deserve a party,” he informs her as a server comes in to offer them canapés and a glass of champagne.

“I’d be okay with a dinner with my boyfriend and a nightcap with my friends,” she tells him, picking up a canapé, popping it into her mouth, delighting in the sweet dough. The champagne, while not her favorite, is a nice follow up to the rolled treat.

“I insisted on dinner, I wanted to ask you something….”

Rey swallows her bite, looking at him, “Not proposing are you?”

He chuckles, taking a canapé for himself. “A type of proposal but not _the_ proposal. I was thinking we could discuss you moving in with me.”

“Moving in with you…” she couldn’t believe he was asking her to move in with him. She who had lived in a group home, the dorms at uni, and in Mitcham with Rose and Finn. He wanted her to move in with him, to his home that would become their home. Her home with a man, her boyfriend. “I…”

“You are there four or more days a week, most nights when I’m not working late. You have a toothbrush in the bathroom, shampoo in the shower, you even have your own private coffee mug, I think we should make it official.”

“..yes,” she answers, beaming at him as he laid out all the truths she already knew; to be fair, it didn’t take a lot of convincing. He was her home now. “Yes, I’ll move in with you.”

Ben smiles, a beam, really, that rare wide smile that indicates he is truly happy, leaning over to kiss her sweetly under glimmering fiber optics of their dining room. They fall into plans after that, talking about when to make the move, what days they’d be free, and if they should have people on staff do the move or invite Rey’s friends to help.

“Poe and Finn can help, it’ll do them some good, build character,” she decides over the chicken course, happy to be eating something familiar after a course of fois gras. She had no desire to know exactly what it was, like many of the foods she ate over the course of the meal. Though, she gave in and asked over the langoustine when she was sure it was crab; Ben informed her it was lobster, and she felt victorious. They decide on Wednesday to be the moving day, Rey normally takes half days to volunteer at Galactic City, but she can take a personal day and Tilly--the second intern hired to cover her when she had royal engagements--could cover her shift.

Their dessert--mignardises, Ben tells her sounding rather sexy in his pronounciation of the word--is brought to them by a man in a chef’s coat instead of their server. The man introduces himself as Jean Luke, the head chef that has prepared all their meals this evening. “Everything was to your liking, your highness?” he asks, accent unmistakably French. Ben bids the man several compliments before Jean Luke turns to Rey, seeking her opinion of his Michelin 3-star food.

“It was amazing,” she compliments. “I’ve never tasted food so decadent before, and I can’t wait to try these desserts,” she says, motioning to the brilliantly colored pastries, adorned with little flowers that just have to be edible. Jean Luke kisses her hand, offering his best wishes before departing, leaving them to their dessert.

“Before we indulge,” Ben says, stopping her from digging into the cake before her. He digs into his pocket, pulling out a velvet box, long, so Rey immediately knows it’s not a ring, but it is jewelry within. He lifts the lid for her to see the gold bracelet inside, a simple chain with two dice hanging in the center, off balance from each other. One die hangs lower than the other, and both are engraved with symbols she’s never seen before.

“When I was a child, my dad had dice like these that hung on his favorite bike, his favorite cars, he even wore them on his belt loop sometimes. They were a favorite plaything of mine, I use to take them and hide them from my dad when I was a child. I suppose you could say they’re a lucky charm…” he explains, taking the bracelet from the box, she automatically offers her wrist, touched by the story that accompanied the gift. He affixes it to her wrist, leaning forward to press his forehead to hers. “A symbol of light and hope, that’s what you are to me, and that’s what these represent. That’s what you are to me, my ray of light.”

“That was so corny,” she titters, kissing him firmly, deeply, in thanks for the gift that she’d never remove. “I love you.”

“Happy Birthday, sweetheart.”

Later, when they make it back to her home in Mitcham, she about walks out when she opens the door to hundreds upon hundreds of balloons spilling out, and one energetic BB8 chasing after one. Sometimes her friends were so over the top, but they were her over the top and she loved them. Until they shove her face into birthday cake, then she thinks, good riddance to them., especially when they start popping the confetti filled balloons.

She’s not cleaning that up.

*  
**British Vogue** @BritishVogue 2h

Inside the stunning @Cartier pink gold dice bracelet HRH Prince Ben Solo gifted his girlfriend Rey Kenobi in honor of her 23rd birthday! Happy Birthday, Rey! bit.ly/HVG01h

**Miss Vogue UK** @MissVogueUK 2h

Wow! Don’t we all wish we had a boyfriend to gift us such a bracelet. Check out our list of top 5 affordable versions of Rey Kenobi’s bracelet. bit.ly/PHM29tyh

**SCENE** @SCENEMag 2h

Want to treat your SO to an Alain Ducasse themed dinner without breaking the bank? Check out our article on affordable alternatives SceneMagazine.co.uk/article/…..

**KOB_OfficialUK** @KOB_Official UK 1h

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, REY KENOBI!! #peoplesprincess

*

“Don’t you have servants for this?” Finn complains teasingly as he tugs the large wardrobe box into the house, narrowing his eyes at the shoe box Rey carried behind him.

“Yes, he’s carrying my clothes for me,” she jokes, winking at him, as she passes with ease stemming from a much lighter box. “Bedroom is on the third floor,” she informs him, walking into the home, climbing the half staircase, beckoning Finn as she makes her way up to the third floor. She can hear him grumbling about the stairs, followed by the thud of the box being dragged up. “First door on the left,” she yells down to him, entering her new bedroom, going straight for the closet to drop her shoe box inside on the empty side which was to be hers.

“I assume the kitchen box is going in the kitchen!” Poe yells up to her, as he enters the house, whistling at his first view of the humble abode.

“Take the first set of stairs, you’ll see it on the left,” she shouts back to him, just as Finn comes into the bedroom, huffing over the box.

“How much clothes did you stuff in here?” he grumbles, standing up to look around the room, taking in the ensuite bathroom, the sliding doors that led out to their covered patio. His gaze stops on the bed, larger than a king size bed, sheeted in black sheets, perfectly made right now, since Ben was at work and she was currently unloading the truck of her things. “Our whole house could fit into this bedroom.”

“Probably,” she concurs, grabbing his arm to pull him back down to the truck. She doesn’t have a lot of things, but she has more than she thought, and there was still more boxes to be unloaded.

In and out, in and out they go until the house is filled with boxes labeled for the room they’re in and tagged messily with general descriptions. Even though they’re widely spread out, Rey looks at all her boxes and can’t believe she packed this much stuff or that she owned this much stuff. She can still remember when she left Galactic City with one duffle bag that held literally everything she owned in her life, and now she has boxes, twenty or so boxes of things that were hers.Twenty or so boxes that took just over an hour to unload from the truck, and would take decent time to unpack.

“What are the chances we can move in here, you have sixty bedrooms,” Poe jokes, collapsing onto the floor with bottle of water, sipping it slowly as Finn makes himself at home on the couch. Rey points out that there’s only five bedrooms. One is hers and Ben’s and one is his home office, and another is a guest bedroom he uses for Emilyn. “Still leaves two whole bedrooms!”

“Fine, we’ll leave one open for you guys, if you’re ever in Cambridge and need a place to stay,” she tells him with a roll of her eyes and Poe whoops in victory, volunteering to stay over tonight to test it out. Rey won’t stop him. She’s also not going to warn him that her and Ben have a night of christening planned for their home.

“But you won’t be in the place forever,” Finn adds. “It’s clear that you’re one step closer to marrying this guy. If he makes it to the altar, you guys would move away to a big fancy palace.”

‘We’re in no rush,” Rey informs them, pulling cups and mugs from a box, putting them up next to the fancy set Ben owned. Her cartoon cups looked rather funny next to the crystal drinkware. “We can get married when he’s ready, or I’m ready, when we’re ready. We just moved in.”

Truth be told, she feels like they’re one cliffside leap away from the actual proposal. Ben could propose tonight, and she’s sure she’d say yes; at least, that’s what she feels in her heart.

“Yeah, but he’s royal, I can’t imagine going four years without a proposal,” Finn replies, eyes turning pointedly to Poe who looked to the wall, raising his hands in a shrug.

“We go at our own pace,” she tells them with finality, walking over to kick Poe’s leg to get him up. “Help me with some of these boxes and then we can order food. Anything you guys want.”

Finn hops up, hurrying over to the kitchen, phone in hand as if he were ready for her to mention food. “Can we try this tandoori place? I saw it on the way here and now it’s all I think about.”

“Help me unpack the kitchen and we can,” she bribes, grinning as he sets to work on pulling out her multicolored plate wear set. She can’t help but love her friends easy motivation by food; it’s a weakness they share, after all.

*

Rey lays in bed, their bed, next to Ben as he reads. She has the TV turned on to some makeover show where the contestant is lamenting the removal of her dark pink eyeshadow. She tunes it out, looking up at her boyfriend, so at ease, just sitting there, shirtless, in pajama pants, comfortable. They’re three days into their new step, and it still feels alien, like she can’t believe this is her life, and she’s sure any day now he’s going to tell her it was a mistake. “This is a little odd, isn't it?” she asks.

“Hm?”

“Well, in the morning, I’ll get up, go to work, and come back here. And the next day, and the next day. The only rail charges I’ll have going to Mitcham is if I’m visiting Rose and Finn or going out to Sutton. And in my head it makes sense, but now, it just feels...different.”

“It will for the first few days,” he answers, closing his book, setting it aside. “It was the same for me when I moved out of Clarence House. Living there my parents were always just down the hall, I saw them every morning at breakfast, and in the afternoon for tea, and at dinner, and when I moved here there was just me. It was an adjustment. Moving anywhere new is an adjustment for anyone…”

“Good thing I have a big strong man to protect me,” she teases, scooting closer, laying on his chest, wrapping her arm around him. Ben’s arms come around her, hugging her closer, mumbling something in her hair about her not needing anyone to protect her. “I love you.”

“I love you too,” he kisses her head, reaching for the new blue lamp to click it off.

*

The last royal garden party of the summer, her first official royal event on Ben’s arm. The last royal event she’ll attend for the year before Christmas with his family in Scotland. There’s also Emilyn’s birthday on Halloween, but she doubts any of that will be as choreographed as this garden party is.

“This is so strange,” Rey whispers to Ben, as Emilyn attempts to swing from her father’s arm like he’s playground equipment. Jaina is attempting to wrangle the young lady, reminding her the dress will get mushed if she keeps doing that. Leia, ever the mother, is advising Jaina in the same manner, telling her daughter her blue sundress will become wrinkled if she keeps fussing with Emilyn. Jag spares his wife, scooping up their daughter, putting her on his hip. Emilyn looks tired, ready to be done for the day in a way children go from hyper to sleepy in a blink of an eye. From Rey’s understanding, no one under 18 is meant to attend the garden parties, but Padme made an exception to include her great-granddaughter in the proceedings.

Rey stands there besides Ben in the ivory floral print dress he’d gifted her, complimented perfectly by her gold dice bracelet. She feels out of place standing with the royal family for the grand entrance to the Queen’s party. She never really feels out of place with this family, except now, when she’s entering with them, acknowledged as a member of this family to public, despite the fact that her and Ben aren’t married. Eyes of thousands will be on them, viewing them, judging them, expecting more by her appearance. It’s strange. “You look good, kiddo, far too beautiful to be on my son’s arm. You should let me escort you instead,” Han calls over.

“I dont think your wife would appreciate that,” she teases Han back in that way that had him gleaning with the thrill of a worthy opponent.

“Take him,” Leia waves to them, walking away to take care of her mother.

Jaina pushes her father in the square of his back, urging him to go help Leia, “Dad, quit being an arse and go help mom.”

Han walks off, muttering something about getting old enough that his kids apparently boss him around now, and no one tells Han Solo what to do, except for Leia, and apparently Jaina. Luke comes out of a side hallway, walking straight for his mother, offering his arm to her, ready to escort her out to the yard below where people are congregating, waiting for the arrival of the royals. “Grandmother will go first, followed by mother and father, then you and I, and then Jaina and Jag,” Ben tells her in low tones, the valet helping Holdo to organize the line. Ever the efficient worker she snaps her fingers for Ben and Rey to step forward to take their spot behind Leia, who is waiting for Han to escape Padme’s clutches as the woman whispers to him.

“We’ll exit, walk down the stairs, waving, pictures, the likes,” he adds, as Jag puts Emilyn down behind them, telling her she has to walk now. “God Save the Queen will play and Grandmother will branch off to greet several guests, and guests will come to us in greeting. They’ll curtsy to you as my consort.”

“They realize I’m not your wife, right? I’m basically nobody,” she whispers back.

Jaina startles her as she leans forward, whispering so Holdo doesn’t comment on them getting out of line. “Yes, but as consort to the Prince, second in line for the throne, you outrank most everyone here, except for my mother and father. So they curtsy to you, but you’ll curtsy to my mother.”

“Jaina, Jag, and Emilyn will also curtsy to you. To the public, we’re in a courtship which suggests intent to marry, but you don’t have to answer questions if you don’t want to,” Ben adds. Holdo reiterates this as she comes down the line, repeating proper etiquette to them, kneeling to Emilyn’s level to make sure the youngest member understands.

“There’s so many rules in this,” she chuckles nervously, and Han looks back at her.

“Wait till you take the actual classes. Their tedious.”

The doors to the garden open, letting more sunlight into the room, all Rey can see is the terrace as Holdo and a valet instruct the family to move forward. Ben is her anchor in this, as he guides her, leading her out to the terrace behind Han and Leia, the former making faces to his wife in hopes she’ll laugh. Rey can hear Emilyn laughing behind them, likely skipping as they exit out onto the people lined terrace, red coated guards standing at attention, only moving to salute as they pass. Padme breaks off with Luke, and Holdo whispers instructions behind them, having Rey break away from Ben to stand next to Han and Leia as they approach the edge of the steps on the right side as Padme moves towards the center steps. Luke bows to his mother, breaking away to take the steps down to the gravel, stepping aside as the Queen is presented.

Looking over the garden, filled with thousands of people just staring back at her might be more terrifying than facing Ben’s rage head on. Cameras are flashing around, faster than light as people take pictures. Rey stands there, hands crossed in front of her, holding the clutch she’d been given to use for today while Padme stands at the center of the steps; the National Anthem playing just for her. Guards lining the garden salute, standing in the position as the band continues to play in honor of the Queen. “You’re doing wonderfully,” Leia encourages her, reaching out to place a comforting hand on her arm.

This is Rey’s first official event standing amongst the royal family. She’s not here as a guest, she’s not here to meet Ben’s family, these people are here to meet her, talk to her as a future part of this noble family. This isn’t a casual tea where she can be aloof, playfully, delight in the tossing of biscuits between family, but a place where she must stand tall, follow the rules, make like she belongs amongst their ranks; even if she knows she doesn’t.

The anthem ends and Padme steps down the stairway, met by Luke who ushers his mother towards a man in a kilt who promptly shakes the Queen’s hand. A woman at his side curtsies before shaking her hand, and down they go before Leia prompts Rey to move down the steps. Each one feels shakier than the next, as if an earthquake has chosen to continue to quiver under her until she falls face first into the lawn.

When they make it to the bottom, Leia nods, proudly, leaning over to whisper in her ear. “Already did better than Han. He fell flat on his back his first garden party.”

Rey covers her mouth as she laughs, looking to Ben when he comes to her side, placing his hand at the small of her back. “Mother. Father,” he greets, bowing at his waist before shaking their hands. Rey follows his lead, curtsying, right foot behind the left, a gentle bend of her knees before accepting their hands. Leia kisses her cheeks as Jaina comes over, greeting her brother first with a curtsy before offering the same greeting to Rey, encouraging Emilyn to do the same, the young girl looking eager to go run and find at least one other child amidst the crowds. Jag bows to his brother-in-law, clapping him firmly on the back before greeting his other in-laws with a bow, keeping a firm hand on Emilyn.

Mara Jade and Anakin approach them, bowing and curtseying to their family, all vestiges of their eccentricities wrapped tightly in a case of formality. Family greetings aside, Leia and Han move off to greet a man from Denmark who bows to them, and she’s left with Ben, who leads her off. “Are you okay?” he questions in concern.

“Nervous. Are you okay?” she returns, more concerned with his mental health then her own.

He nods, informing her they have four garden parties a year, so he’s grown use to them at this stage in his life. “The hard part is over,” he tells her. “Now it’s just mingling. Talking to the people.” And he knows she’s good at that, if it’s one thing she can do, it’s connect with people, because people are just that, people.

They’re approached by a diplomat from Norway who introduces them to his wife and son that is Rey’s age, and when he kisses Rey’s hand, Ben puts a protective arm around her, slightly possessive in his hold. A number of foreign dignitaries greet them, and she learns who curtsies to her and who she curtsies to base on visual prompts. The wife of a another King strikes up a kinship with her when the King pulls Ben aside to discuss a trade agreement Leia had put forth last week. “Daunting, isn’t it? I remember my first royal engagement as a consort. I was 18 then,” her voice is rich with a Accent, European in origin. “I was raised to be a Queen, like many women in nobility in my country. But nothing prepared me for the reality of it. You were not raised in such a way, and already I feel you were born to be Queen. Your country loves you already.”

Ben reiterates the sentiment when he rejoins her and they continue on down the lawn meeting men from the military—amputees that lost limbs in service to their country, when Rey cracks a joke they laugh, happy to be treated like anyone else—and a young woman who was currently top of her class and spearheaded a campaign at her local school for clothing the homeless and turning the school into a refuge during off months. A man from Cloud City soup kitchen personally thanks Rey for her work with soup kitchens, hoping she’ll continue to bring attention to their doors. She meets Lando Calrissian, a close friend of Han’s who happens to be the best friend who’d wound up with the broken arm in Han’s great Tatooine escape story.

He’s interested in her opinions on same-sex adoption rights, being that she grew up in a group home. “I would have been grateful to any parents that wanted me, and I was grateful to Ms. Kenobi, a single woman who wanted to take on a girl almost aged out. Gender isn’t a factor in determining if they’re good parents or not. Your sexuality doesn’t determine your fortitude as a decent parent, or even as a person. I believe your heart does that,” she answers, alluding to some of her bottled up feelings concerning her own parents, and how they left her alone at just five. She can see a number of people around them giving their approval, moving eagerly forward to discuss the subject more before she’s whisked away.

She finally meets the elusive Hux, who, despite not wanting to support cute and fuzzies at work, talks extensively with her about the rescue programs he supports in his personal life. He’s rather fond of cats, and Ben shoots her an apologetic look. There’s a snobbish married couple who approach them, talking to them as if they were royal just by association or by invite. A group of Uni students, top of their class in history of the Royal family—aspiring curators, Rey assumes—spend their time gabbing about the Walking Dead with Rey, never once bringing up the royal family. “I just could couldn’t stand Andrea in series 2. Thinking she was above the work everyone else was doing, had to protect the camp.”

“You’re saying a woman can’t protect the camp…”

“...you guys are missing the fact that Lori acts like Shane was her husband..”

Rey delves so deep into the discussion she hardly notices Ben attempting to steer her away from the crowd that has gathered to listen to their inane Telly conversation. She’s led to the diplomatic tent when they can sit and snack, enjoy finger sandwiches as the band plays selections of Padme’s favorite tunes. A song plays that has Padme tearing up, leading Ben to explain it was his grandfather's favorite song.

Ben goes to his grandmother’s side when prompted, leaving Rey to mingle alone, Han and Leia nearby, discussing fluently with invitees from Japan. “You’re not good enough for him,” an American woman boldly states, hiding her mouth behind a champagne glass. This woman is strawberry blonde, decked out in jewels as if she’s attempting to upstage the royal family, or trying to prove she’s one of them. “You wear a nice dress with that $6000 bracelet on your wrist and you think it makes you worthy to marry a prince. You’re a nobody and one day he’ll realize that, and you’ll be back in the orphanage you crawled out of.”

Rey blinks, looking at the woman, wondering what life she’s had to be so spiteful. “I apologize,” Rey begins, and the woman’s eyes widen before a smirk begins to slide across her face. “That money has made you so insecure you tear other people down to make yourself feel better. If you’ll excuse me my boyfriend wishes to give me the time of day,” she finishes, walking towards Ben who was looking at her inquisitively. Halfway to Ben and Padme she hears a shriek, turning around to see the military man with one leg—Brian, she recalls—apologizing profusely for bumping into the strawberry blonde woman, giving an excuse about a glitch in his prosthetic. Brian catches her gaze and winks before putting back on a look of sympathy, attempting to help the woman clean the champagne out of her dress.

Ben reaches for her, kissing her head affectionately. “Vicious woman.”

“I didn’t do a thing,” she replies innocently with all the tact of a cat with a mouse in its teeth. Padme reaches for her, bringing her down to kiss her cheek, striking up a conversation, seemingly unaware of the happenings across the yard.

“Ben tells me you’re joining us for Christmas,” Padme conversates, as Leia offers to grab her mother another finger sandwich. Padme waves her off, saying she can do it herself.

“That’s the plan,” Rey smiles.

“How is work?” Leia cuts in before Padme can open her mouth to further elaborate on any Christmas plans. She looks to Ben and he shrugs, pointedly avoiding her eyes; suspicious.

“It’s great, really. It’s mainly running from office to office, inputting data, answering emails, really simple work, but it feels nice holding blueprints in my hand for once. I get to sit in on my first design meeting next Tuesday.”

“Hard work is wonderful,” Padme compliments. “Our whole family are very work oriented. Speaking of family, have you and Ben discussed more about your future?”

“Mother!” Leia chastises, deterring Padme from looking to Rey expectantly. If it were possible for the woman to physically facepalm without looking rude, she likely would have done it. Rey can see Ben has found the white tent above them particularly interesting, his ears pinking just a tad at the tip.

“.....we haven’t talked per say but we just moved in together and that’s going wonderfully. We haven’t killed each other yet,” she jokes, holding out her wrist to show Padme her bracelet. “And he just got me this for my birthday.”

Padme looks at the bracelet in approval, voicing that to her grandson, who she declares to have excellent taste in jewelry. “You should move into Clarence House together, instead of staying in Cambridge. At least until you’re married. Kensington Palace will be your crown estate, naturally..”

Han makes a comment under his breath about Rey and Ben already making themselves at home in Kensington causing Ben to choke.

“Mom!” Leia tries to cut in, but Padme seems to be lost in her own fantasies of her grandson’s future. “She did the same thing to Han and I,” Leia whispers. “Mind you, I was already pregnant, so she really pushed for the marriage then, didn’t want her first grandchildren born out of wedlock.”

Rey chuckles, leaning her head against Ben’s shoulder. “You know, there’s no rush to marry me.”

He glances down at her, depositing a second kiss to her head. “I know.”

*

“According to America’s National Enquirer you’re leaving me for a hotel heiress,” Rey announces, carrying tea into their bedroom, dressed only in one of Ben’s button ups. It has him at attention, watching the sway of her hips as she approaches and she doesn’t miss the way his eyes dip to her chest as she hands him his evening tea. She climbs into bed on her side, placing her tea down down before picking up her phone, pulling up Finn’s text to show him a picture of himself from the garden party. Below that in a bubble is a picture of the strawberry blonde woman who’d called Rey trash. The headline declares: _Prince Ben Solo’s Secret Affair With American Hotel Heiress Belinda Milton. Inside their secret engagement. Sources say Rey Kenobi a publicity stunt._

“Was I going to be informed of this secret engagement?” He wonders.

She hums, setting her phone down. “Possibly at the altar.”

“Ah, at least before the vows, then,” he jests, looking over at her with those dark brown eyes of his that drove her nuts, soft, caring, full of his love; currently they were gradually turning black with his lust. Rey moves, throwing a thigh over his lap, straddling him, placing her hands on his shoulders to balance herself.

She leans down, pressing her lips to his, staying close as she purrs, “Suppose I’ll just stake my claim then.”

*

**Tonight on TMZ!**

**The twitter breakdown heard round the world!**  
So, last Saturday, Belinda Milton accepted an invite to the Royal Garden Party in place of her father at Buckingham Palace. The last garden party of the year for Queen Amidala, and it showed in long processional music, bagpipes, and the first official outing as consort for Miss Rey Kenobi. But the story here is the tweet Belinda sent out after the party.

**Belinda Milton** @BelindaMilton 1h

Just returned to suite after Royal Garden Party. I would say Prince Ben and I had quite the interlude.

This tweet was liked over twenty thousand times within the first 24 hours and an National Enquirer article soon sprung up suggesting the two were having an affair. Theory after theory came up about the validity of these rumors. After being asked about the article Milton tweeted this:

**Belinda Milton** @BelindaMilton 2m

I can neither confirm nor deny any stories currently circling about me and a certain Prince.

Then BOOM, an explosion set off in Milton’s world as video of her surfaced from the Royal Garden Party tearing down the Prince’s consort, basically calling her trash. While fans of the royal courtship were already up and arms about the salacious rumors of a royal affair, when this video hit the internet was in a frenzy! We’re talking so bad that construction on a new Milton Luxury Suites in Paris was put on hold in support of Ms. Kenobi until the situation was rectified. Milton’s twitter went dark, and all tweets from the last week were completely deleted and a statement was issued last night that Belinda Milton’s disappearance from social media had nothing to do with public backlash.

However, a liaison from the royal family went on record to say “....we do not condone Ms. Milton’s actions towards a potential member of the royal family….going forth, an invitation will not longer be extended to Ms. Milton…”

The soldier appearing in the video, Brian Dunaway, went on youtube with a statement for his actions: “....I heard the things she was saying….Miss Kenobi is far to classy a woman to respond...like me, Miss Kenobi has worked her whole life for things, they were never given to her...anyone that spoke to her at the party can attest to just how kind and earnest she is...she’s truly the peoples princess, and I’d be more than happy to serve again if she were Queen..”

*

**PEOPLE** @people 3m

“It’s a cry for help” Belinda Milton’s father, Douglas, speaks out on Milton's royal blunder.

**Mary Miller** @ItsMary 2m

That moment when your name because synonymous with being a horrible human being. Don’t pull a Milton!

**Buzzfeed** @Buzzfeed 1m

25 twitter reactions to Milton-gate that have us dying with laughter!

*

**KOB_OfficialUK** @KOB_OfficialUK 1h

I, Michelle, got the immense honor of meeting Rey Kenobi today in Escapade! She’s shopping for a Halloween costume. She’ll be celebrating in private with HRH Princess Jaina’s family. #Royalfamily #Halloween #Reylo #peoplesprincess

**KOB_OfficialUK** @KOB_OfficialUk 1h

Stories of her kindness are not exaggerated. She literally spent twenty minutes with me, helping me pick out a costume. And Yes, I told her I run a fanpage for HRH Prince Ben. She was surprised he had a fanpage. #peoplesprincess

**KOB_OfficialUK** @KOB_OfficialUK 1h

On that note we have made a fanpage for Miss Rey as well. Please follow **@KnightsofRey** for all content about Rey Kenobi and her courtship to HRH Prince Ben. You can also view the selfie she allowed me to take with her. #ReyKenobi #KnightsofRey #peoplesprincess

**Knights of Rey** @KnightsofRey 30m

Channeled our inner Scream Queens at Escapade when I met Rey Kenobi. #peoplesprincess

**Jonathan Wiles** @JJJohn 28m  
Replying to **@KnightsofRey**

She’s so garbage. Don’t the royals have classes they can give her or something? Hair? Makeup?

**Melanie Maye** @MelanieMaye 27m  
Replying to **@JJJJohn**

No need to pull a Milton. If you’re not a fan of Rey Kenobi then please refrain from commenting.

*

“You can’t just dethrone me for most scandalous rag written about you,” Han tells her dressed as he is, a smuggler, for Halloween and Emilyn’s birthday party--the brown vest he wears looks tattered, she thinks its the one he wore in his youth. The birthday girl, herself, has decided to dress up as a fairy, complete with sparkling wings as she runs about the dining room of Clarence House, waving her wand at all her guests. Leia sits next to her husband, dressed as the Greek Goddess Athena. Rey has talked Ben into doing a gender swapped version of Robin Hood, with her in the signature green and him dressed to the nine as a Lord Marian, completely with colorful shirt and trousers.

“The difference is, the people love her, the country was divided on you,” Leia jabs, poking her husband in the side. “Honestly, I’m surprised it took so long for a gossip rag to assume Ben was having a secret affair. Han had a secret affair, a love child, and apparently a bounty hunter wanting his head by the time we got married.”

“To be fair, I did date Qi’ra, several years before I met Leia. They just kind of dug up old photos of us to use as ammunition for their stories,” he adds, ducking his head so his granddaughter could sprinkle “fairy dust” over his head. Leia came next, then it was Rey’s turn, Ben escaped when she ran out but she promised to be back.

“Mmh, there was that article about Luke, after he abdicated, something about him going into exile, starting a cult,” Leia adds. “There’s still people in the world that believe Luke isn’t Luke and a doppelganger made to trick the world into believe Luke is still in the family. Honestly, a secret affair feels like you two got off easy, especially since anyone that knows Ben would know he’s incapable of cheating.”

Ben wraps his arms around her, pulling Rey down to situate in his lap, uncaring of the glitter that comes with her. “I’m more than happy with my one perfect woman, thank you.”

“Not perfect, Ben…”

“You are to me,” he compliments, kissing behind her ear.

“Rey, you have a little something on your back,” Anakin shouts from across the room, puff pastry halfway to his mouth, he’s dressed as Legolas tonight, and Emilyn has declared his costume her favorite; which makes him her prince for the evening. “It’s big, dark haired, hairy, looks like my cousin.”

She reaches back, running her fingers through Ben’s hair, he keens like a puppy arching for scratches.. “It’s a new fashion statement. The boyfriend backpack, one of a kind.”

“I wanna be a backpack!” Emilyn decides, pulling on Anakin till he kneels, allowing her to climb on and drape herself over his back. He totes her around the room, the young girl laughing, proclaiming to her mother that she’s a backpack, making Jaina smile. Jag distracts Emilyn quickly though, when he wheels a brand new pink bike in the room and she takes off running for it, pushing Anakin aside like yesterday’s news. She climbs on, asking to go riding despite the late hour, and her parents promise they’re go first thing in the morning.

The cake is brought out after. A sheet cake decorated in blue lace with purple candles sparkling for Emilyn to blow out. She makes a wish before diving in, offering her family a piece to be polite before going for her own.

Rey watches all this from afar wistfully, turning to look at Ben who is watching just as well. She images a child, dark haired, dark eyes, more of Ben in them then her. Maybe even two babies, since twins seemed to run in the Skywalker bloodline. She imagines carrying those children, loving them, clothing them, bathing them, having pictures to showcase like Han does of his children. She’s distinctly aware of the fact that she wants to have a baby with Ben Solo.

It’s overwhelming but not unwelcome.

*

**British Vogue** @BritishVogue 1h

Rey Kenobi took dinner with the Royal family this evening at Windsor. Did you love her Thanksgiving look? Find out how to recreate it at our site. Vogue.co.uk/article/vogue…

**Amara Vega** @AAVega 30m  
Replying to **@BritishVogue**

Can you do an article on Rey Kenobi’s everyday look? I love her casual wear! Would love to add similar pieces to my wardrobe!

**Michelle Dubois** @MommyMadness 25m  
Replying to **@BritishVogue, @AmaraVega**

Had the honor of running into Miss Kenobi at Mark & Spencers. To know she’s a bargain hunter shopper like me made my heart sore! She told me the dresses she wears at functions are picked for her, but everyday? She’s about 15£ capris and simple tops! #peoplesprincess

**British Vogue** @BritishVogue 3h

You asked! We listened! Check out these picks for Rey Kenobi’s day to day on the go budget looks! #peoplesprincess vogue.co.uk/article/vogue/ReyKenobi….

*

**The Royal Family** @royalfamily 5h

HRH Prince Ben, Duke of Cambridge, returned from a goodwill mission to New Zealand this morning. Next trip will be to Scotland for Christmas to be hosted at Holyrood Castle.

**Jacob Forester** @JacobForester95 4h

Why is nobody talking about the Royal family moving Christmas from Sandringham to Holyrood? I’m just going to say it, Is HRH Prince Ben going to propose?

**Emily Halper** @EmiEmi90 4h  
Replying to **@royalfamily, @JacobForester95**

...i swear if they come back engaged i’m going to cry! #peoplesprincess #Proposal! #please

 

**Buzzfeed UK** @BuzzfeedUK 3h

Top 5 reasons why HRH Prince Ben Solo and Rey Kenobi might be getting engaged this Christmas! #reylo

**Kyra Dening** @HRHKyra 4h

I’m all in on a proposal! I will be so disappointed if they don’t get engaged! I’m ready for this royal wedding!! #peopleprincess #reylo

**Star Magazine UK** @Star_Magazine 30m

Sources close to the royal family say Rey Kenobi is the one for Prince Solo. #Christmas #proposal?

*

“Ben and I just got to the airport,” Rey tells Rose, smiling to Mitaka as she steps out of the car. “What time if your flight?”

“At 15:00, we’re waiting for Poe, apparently his work thinks he’s lying about going to Christmas in Scotland with the royal family. He played the game too close to the chest,” Rose relays, yelling something at Finn, who was apparently stuffing something in a suitcase he shouldn’t be. “They’re trying to rope him into staying over the hols. If he’s not here by 13:00 we’ll go kidnap him.”

“I’m sure he’ll appreciate that,” Rey chortles, taking Ben’s arm, beaming up at him, all teeth, as he escorts her onto the private British Airways craft. She is very excited for this vacation with her friends, it had been nearly a month since she got to spend more than a cup of coffee in the morning with them. Between work, Galactic City, and her other volunteer work, and living in Cambridge, Rey felt she didn’t get nearly as much time with her friends as she’d like.

Poe had moved in to their Mitcham home in her place, somewhat confirming his and Finn’s relationship status--though neither one still came out and blatantly stated it--and she got regular updates from Finn on day to day life, but it still wasn’t the same as being there every morning. Rose, ever the reasonable one, reminded her it was bound to happen eventually. Life would take them where it did, and they couldn’t stay attached at the hip forever. Just because things were changing it didn’t mean their friendship did; Rey appreciated it. “Hey, i’m getting on the plane now, so just keep me updated, alright?”

“Paige is trying to pack her entire wardrobe, so I might leave her here,” Rose quips-- her sister grumbles something about looking presentable at a royal function--promising to text when they’re on their way. The last thing Rey hears is Rose chastising Finn for how he is trying to wrangle BB8 into his carrier, a clatter, then the line is dead.

“Rey!” Emilyn exclaims barreling down the aisle to tackle her, knocking her into Ben with the force of her hug. “We’re going to Scotland! Are you excited?”

“Very,” Rey replies, and Ben leans down, peeling his niece from Rey’s legs, hoisting her onto his hip as they make their way in, greeting the family as they went. She shook hands with Mara Jade and Luke, fisting bumping Anakin when he prompted. She kissed Leia’s cheeks and hugged Han, who told her to watch the scotch that he already had in hand. She shook Jag’s hand, as Ben deposits the man’s daughter in his lap, and Rey accepts the hug from Jaina before the woman hugs her brother. They take the seats behind them, Ben offering Rey the window, getting comfortable as they wait for Padme to arrive. “So what’s on the agenda tonight?” Rey asks to the plane at large.

“We’ll make cookies and gingerbread houses,” Ben informs her, while Jaina added the word attempt into the sentence, with large exaggerated finger quotations. “We’ll have a large supper, there’ll be some nosh, singing, and we’ll each open one gift from under the tree before calling it a night. In the morning we have breakfast, open the rest of the presents and then you, Poe, Finn, Rose, and whoever else can sit around in their best christmas pajamas and watch horrible Christmas movies.”

“You’re invited to that event too, Ben, as my boyfriend.”

“Yes, Ben, as her boyfriend, you’re invited,” Han chortles, lifting his cup to him. Leia smacks her husband’s arm, Ben shoots him a death glare, even Jaina smacks her father’s head, and Rey look on to the scene in befuddlement.

*

Rey never thought she’d have to mediate on behalf of a gingerbread house when Ben snapped a roof piece in half that refused to stay on. She could see how angry he was getting over something so inconsequential and silently took his half built house and switched it with her already dried foundation. “Here, you decorate, I’ll build,” she decides, and a flicker of annoyance passes through his eyes before he seems to catch himself, nodding.

She catches Han’s eye across the table, the man watching his son like a hawk over prey as Ben takes several deep breaths. He mouths to her, “Is he okay?” and she nods, replying that he’ll be fine. She makes bubble shapes with her hands indicating to give him space, let him calm down as he icings candy pieces to the house, seemingly content when they stick. Emilyn has proceeded to cover hers, and both her parents gingerbread houses in every candy possible, showing them off with pride. Luke seems to be the most adept at making confectioners houses, and add impressive icing icicles along with side, with swirling piping work on the roof and powder sugar snow that has Leia throwing a piece of candy at her twin, declaring him to be a show-off.

A butler enters the room and announces the arrival of the Tico sisters, Finn and Poe, and Rey jumps up from her spot at the table, running through the dining room, straight to the entryway, practically flinging herself at her friends, knocking Finn backwards with the force of her hug. “Excited to see us?” he teases, depositing her to hug Poe, then both the Tico sisters wrap her in a hug, kissing her cheeks. It turns into one mass of a group hug that’s she's reluctant to break.

“A butler took our bags,” Rose apprises, “A butler!”

Rey giggles, nodding. “Yes, they do that.”

She takes their hands, leading them into the dining room where Luke and Leia have apparently gone into assassin mood, throwing candy beads from behind their perspective partners. On the outside Mara Jade seems apathetic to the goings on of the siblings, but Rey sees her sneaking candy to Luke under the table. “We’re decorating gingerbread houses,” she shows them, leading them over to Ben who seems to have found some cool in gluing peppermints to a cookie roof.

Poe grabs her arm, stopping her, looking around the room. “That is Princess Leia throwing candy at Luke Skywalker, Duke of York.”

“Yeah, this family enjoys throwing things at each other. Han has tried to involve been in a biscuit battle more than once,” Rey confirms, turning to the room at large. “Everybody, these are my friends, Finn, Poe, Rose, and Paige,” she introduces causing a cease fire in holiday sweets long enough for the group to say hi as a congregate. Rey makes her way down the room, pointing out Mara Jade, Anakin--who eyes them through a magnifying glass he’d swiped from Padme’s study--Luke, Emilyn, Jag, Jaina, and of course Han and Leia.

“Can I go say hi to Leia?” Poe asks, practically buzzing out of his skin, running when Rey gives him the go ahead to go shake the hand of his favorite royal. He almost trips over himself when he reaches her, he attempts some kind of shake bow combo that looks more like a new dance fad than actual introduction.

“Where’s Her majesty?” Rose asks as Rey leads them to empty chairs by Ben. Rose shakes Ben’s hand, and he’s perfectly pleasant, offering hellos to all her friends before returning to his project, determined to finish. Rose turns a quizzical eye to Rey concerning Ben’s off put manner, but she waves it off.

“Resting before dinner. For now, it’s gingerbread and icing, so grab a bag, grab a biscuit, and have at it,” Rey encourages, sitting back next to Ben, who grabs her hand under the table, squeezing it. She leans over to kiss his cheek to remind him that she loves him.

“..love you too,” he answers, knocking her shoulder with his.

*

Rey looks at the paintings, holding her eggnog close as she wanders down the Great Gallery, now decorated for Christmas. She snuck out of the drawing room, wanting a moment alone from the alcohol fueled caroling of her friends and Ben’s family who might have imbibed a bit to much. From her count, Han and Poe had drank ten each, attempting to out drink the other. On the upside, Poe’s dream of being slapped by Princess Leia, when she had to knock sense into both men when they began to argue about classic rock at the top of their lungs, came true. When Rey left they had switched to motorbikes with Poe adamantly declaring Suzuki was the best in overall performance.

“I found you,” Ben says, just above a whisper that carries in the hall. He approaches, no drink in hand, looking at the portraits that line the wall. Ancestors, family, his history, all the things that led to his family sitting on the throne of England.

“Could only take so much Jingle Bells. Has Finn figured out he’s not singing in French yet?”

“Doesn’t seem so. Paige has procured a garland and is model walking down the stairs. The guards are not amused,” he tells her, painting a picture of the girl in question, strutting comically till he’s close enough to kiss the top of her head. One of the advantages of a tall boyfriend, they never got tired of head kisses. “I love you.”

“I love you too,” she replies without a second thought.

A sniffle down the hall has her looking to see Rose standing there, dabbing her eyes. Not just Rose, but Paige, and Jaina, and Finn, and well, apparently everyone, even the guard, peering inside. All shoved into the doorway leading to the Great Gallery, like an old black and white comedy show. She suspects if she looks hard enough, someone will be standing on someone’s shoulders. “Okay, what’s going on? Whose dying?”

“No one,” Ben chuckles, a soft exhale than an actual laugh. “You know, you once told me I was bad at talking to women.”

“You’ve gotten better,” she amends.

“I learned because you gave me the chance. You were there for me, even when I’m having my worst days, even when I’m angry without meaning to be, or having my off days where I don't want to do anything. No matter what I’m going through you’re there for me, as if I’m not a burden.”

“Because you’re not.”

“Even with all this family around me, all the people in the world that declare their love for me, I always felt alone, isolated; different. I thought there was no one in this world meant for me. I was born alone in this world and I was sure I would die alone, till I met you. With you, I’m not alone, I’m happy.”

Rey looks over as Rose sniffles again, handing out tissues to the other women who were also teary eyed. It suddenly clicks in her mind what is going on, or more specifically, what is about to happen. “Ben..”

“You have this habit of making everyone love you, just by being you. You’re abrasive, you make me work to be a better person, you don’t coddle me, and more often than not I feel like you do the most work in this relationship. But then, you have bad days too, and on those days, when you hug me, and tell me not to move, I think that maybe you need me too.”

“I do….” she breaths, shaking with anticipation. She thinks she might accept before he even gets the words out. “I do need you, Ben.”

He gives her a smile, taking her eggnog, handing it off to the nearest butler with a thanks. He takes both of her hands into his, trying to keep her eyes on him and not the group of people inching closer, shuffling along the carpets of the gallery. “I was kind of thinking we could make it a more permanent arrangement,” he says, lowering to one knee, and this time the shuddering near sob came from her own mouth as he releases her hands to dig into his pocket.

He pulls the velvet box from within, opening it to show her the ring set in black cushion. It was a large diamond, with two blue diamonds or sapphires, one on each side of the main diamond. She didn’t know if it was white gold or silver or platinum, but she didn’t care because this was happening to her, right now. Someone was asking orphan girl Rey from nowhere to be their wife, and her brain didn’t know how to comprehend it.

“Rey, will you marry me?”

Her mind rapid fires at a thousand miles an hour, reminding her that he is a Prince, that she would be a Princess if she said yes. Reminding her that her life had already changed just by being his girlfriend and being his wife would be a whole new ball park. One day she might be a Queen to his King, a public finger that the people admired and loved. It was terrifying. A thrill. A new adventure catered for just them.

When he lifts the ring from the box and she catches sight of the engraving within that read: You’re not alone. The answer was back to an immediate and simple. “Yes. Yes, I’ll marry you.”

He slides the ring onto her finger, standing up so fast she swears she hears his knees pop. He scoops her up into his arms, swinging her around like a picturesque movie ending, as their collective families run forward to envelop them in their own brand of hugs and affections. “Congratulations, kid, you got a good one here,” Han congratulates, slapping his son on the shoulder making him release Rey.

Leia grabs Ben by his cheeks, pulling him down to kiss his forehead. Jaina does a similar move, kissing her brother’s forehead repeatedly, wiping at her tears, declaring her pride before sweeping Rey up into a hug, exclaiming her excitement at having a sister. Rose and Paige yank her away from Jaina, hugging her awkwardly between them, grabbing her hand to examine the ring, asking Ben where he got it.

Finn is the next to snatch her away, hugging her tightly, sobbing against her shoulder, repeating over and over that his best friend was leaving him. “Swept away by a big strong man…” he weeps.

Poe puts his arm around Finn, leaning around him to kiss Rey’s cheek, offering her congratulations. “Does this mean we bow to you now, Princess?”

“Oh lord, I don’t think I’m ready to be called that yet,” she chuckles nervously.

Rose took up the hugging her again, exclaiming by her ear, fueled by a bit to much drink. “You’re getting married!”

“We need to facetime Jess, she’ll kill us if she hears this second hand!” Paige tells her.

“We need to text Kaydel and Maz too,” Rey reminds, accepting a glass of champagne from the butler handing them out at Padme’s insistence. Rey makes her way over to the woman so Padme can offer her congratulations in person.

They raise their glasses in toast, “To the future Mrs. Ben Solo. Princess and Duchess of Cambridge,” she toasts and everyone cheers to it, sipping their champagne. Rey sips her own before leaning over to peck Ben’s lips before the man gets pulled into his grandmother’s affections.

“We’re getting married.”

“...We’re getting married,” he replies, and Padme cries.

*  
Jessika’s face fills the screen, a garland wrapped around her head like a very thick tiara. Behind her a red haired woman posed dramatically, photobombing the call. “Hi!” Jessika waves as Rey moves the phone far enough back for everyone to be in the shot. They were all crowded around the screen, save for Ben, who had been pulled away by his grandmother to discuss wedding arrangements already. “Guys, this angel behind me is Alyssa,” she introduces, moving the phone to the woman they’d heard about but hadn’t met yet.

Alyssa crowds up next to Jessika waving largely. Jessika moves the phone to the two people on the couch, Alyssa’s parents, Marjorie and Benjamin who gave their own greetings, raising their drinks to them. Jessika introduces everyone, on their end and Alyssa says hi again loudly, indicating she might have had a couple drinks. “Hey, your friend looks like Rey Kenobi!”

“Aly is a big fan of the royal family, she wants to work as a curator for Buckingham Palace, one day,” Jessika tells them as Alyssa talks over her, telling them she models her fashion decisions after Her Majesty Queen Amidala. “So, why did you call me when you guys should be partying it up right now?”

“Actually, we wanted to share some news,” Rey says, holding up her left hand to speak for her. Jessika immediately screams causing Alyssa to fall over, looking startled.

“He proposed?! I can’t believe it! You’re getting married!” Jessika exclaims, starting to cry, big ugly sobs, telling them she might have had a bit too much to drink.

*

**The Royal Family** @royalfamily 3h

She said yes! Congratulations to HRH Prince Ben Solo, Duke of Cambridge and Rey Kenobi on their engagement. #merrychristmas

**British Vogue** @BritishVogue 5m

Game over ladies! Prince Ben is officially off the market! Check out the **@TiffanyAndCo** ring!! #royalwedding

**British Vogue** @BritishVogue 8s

Follow us as we follow preparations leading up to the Royal Wedding of Prince Ben Solo and Rey Kenobi.

**Marilyn Van** @NextGenMarilyn 6m  
Replying to **@BritishVogue**

Noooo!!! Tell me it’s not true!! #icry #lifeisover #itshouldhavebeenme

**Cadence Marshall** @CandyKLimited 8m  
Replying to **@BritishVogue**

…...no words..absolutely no words. Why her? She’s so plain. #itshouldhavebeenme

**Trixie Tige** r @TrixieTiger 6m  
Replying to @CandyKLimited

Don’t pull a Milton. Show Respect. She’s the future princess, and she’s really sweet. I sat next to her at Burger King at Thorpe Park. Gave me a napkin when I spilled soda. Total sweetheart. #peoplesprincess

**Laurie Michael** @LaurieMichael 4m

Congratulations to his royal highness Ben Solo on his engagement! Can’t wait to see Rey’s dress! #peoplesprincess #royalwedding

**Emily Halper** @EmiEmi90 3m

I am crying!! @EJennieLyn & @LunaMoon as soon as a date is set we’ll mark our calendars! And stake out a spot for the procession! #peoplesprincess #royalwedding #merrychristmas

**Finn Dameron** @FN2187 2m

My best friend in the world got engaged last night and I caught it all on video! Congratulations Ben & Rey!!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> They're engaged! I'll confess that chapter 5 is only halfway written at this moment because I got caught up in writing the actual wedding! But I'll try to have the next chapter up as soon as possible! 
> 
> National Enquirer article idea was based on a real article I saw during Will and Kate's engagement.
> 
> Thank you again for all comments, kudos, and feedback. I appreciate it all of them. Every last one.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow! Again, thank you everyone for all the wonderful comments! like you guys have no idea, how much I smile when I read them! Every kudo is like a little hug, so I appreciate everyone that reads, really and truly.
> 
> If you took notice, I know have a set chapter count, we're only two more chapters to the end!

Morning sex, Rey decides, is probably the greatest idea to ever have been concocted. There’s just something horribly erotic about turning over, taking her fiancee--no longer boyfriend--in hand, and sliding him home into her body while he’s still half asleep, or vice versa. She loves when Ben takes control, pushing into her, waking her up to the rocking of his hips into her. Like this morning, with him spooning her from behind, their legs a mess of entwined limbs, attempting to find a comfortable position without moving.

She keens at the way his fingers toy with her nipples, alternating between passing teases, and gentle pinches. Rolling the buds just enough to have her whimpering in pleasure, pushing back against him for more. It’s slow, sensual, casual love making that he lets mount, refusing to pleasure her with his fingers, keeping his thrusts long and intentional. Enough to keep her begging, but not enough to get either of them to orgasm.

“So beautiful,” he coos, moving her hair from her neck, peppering kisses along the expanse. “Take you apart piece by piece, princess.”

“Mmhm,” she moans, resting her head against the pillow, closing her eyes, letting him have his way with her in any method he wants.

“I hope I’m not disturbing anything,” a voice says, breaking through the haze of Rey’s pleasure. She doesn’t know why she does it, but her immediate response is to pull their sheets over her head, hiding away from the intruder while Ben seems to have gone still with mortification. “I called twice,” Leia, _Ben’s mother_ , tells them, closing the door to their bedroom.

Rey can’t be sure she’s actually left, and refuses to move from underneath her cocoon of safety even if it’s becoming suffocatingly hot. She honestly can’t think of anything more mortifying than her fiancee’s mother catching them having sex; Rey knows she’ll never be able to look Leia in the eye again.

“....this is embarrassing,” Ben sighs, moving the blanket off their heads to see their alone in their bedroom. “What are you doing here, mom?” he calls out to the woman, who answers instantly, still on the other side of the door.

“What am I doing here? At your home? Today? At 7 am in the morning?”

Rey looks to Ben who looks back at her, both trying to remember what today is until it seems to click in his mind first, his hand running down his face in exasperation. “Our engagement photos,” he reminds, and Rey’s eyes widen. Leia had gone out of her way last night to remind them twice she’d be here this morning and they’d both forgotten in their own primal urges.

“I’ll let you two get decent while I have a cup of coffee. I assume you have those espresso cups I like for your Keurig?” Leia asks, and after Ben confirms he does, she walks away, the clacking of her heels barely audible as she makes her way to the sitting room.

“We’re never having sex again….” Rey decides, collapsing into the pillow, using her second one to cover her face which she’s sure is fire engine red at this point.

“Let’s get dressed, and we can discuss that statement at another time,” Ben says reasonably, rolling away from her to climb from their bed, offering to start the shower for them, if she plans to join him. It takes her legs a moment to reform into something other than jelly, but they do, so she does join him in the shower, terrified to touch him lest his mother interrupt them again.

*

The ride to Hyde Park is rode mostly in silence, with Rey sitting on the opposite end from Ben in the black Rolls Royce, keeping her hand around the grey clutch that matches her Queen approved grey dress. She had seen the dress while window shopping, and had fallen in love with it’s earth tone grey, made elegant with little bits of black lace at the cuff of the sleeve, and along the hem. The long sleeves made it perfect for their winter shoot, and paired with black stockings, the Queen was over the moon about the ensemble.

Leia had complimented her several times during their walk to the car, until silence reigned the full hour and a half drive to Hyde Park. That was, until Leia found enough fortitude to address them, casually stating, “Honestly, it’s not anything to be embarrassed about. My father, and the Organas caught Han and I together, more than once. One instance was in one of my father’s sports cars, in the back seat, top down..”

“Why?” Ben moans, muttering to himself about his parent’s sex stories being the reason he’s in therapy.

Rey shoots him an apologetic look before becoming distracted by the sights of Hyde Park’s annual Winter Wonderland and the towering rides that fill the park for the season. The bright multi-colored loops of Munich Looping, the Star flyer, next to the ferris wheel; it was very nostalgic. The last time she had been was two years ago for a nightcap with Finn and Rose, where they had drinks at the Bar Hutte cabin before wandering the Magical Ice Kingdom. They hadn’t been able to afford rides at the time, but they had promised each other every year they’d come back but had yet to find the time.

Their car pulls up closer than they’re probably meant to, or that any normal adventurer to the park would be permitted. She knows for a fact that isn’t normally designated parking for patrons nor are there normally guards standing at the entrance, then she remembers who she’s with and why they’re there. “We have the whole park to ourselves?”

“Until noon,” Leia confirms, stepping out with the help of a guard, who hurries to Rey’s door to hand her out if she should need it. She accepts, not wanting him to feel useless after hurrying over, and the first thing she sees is a sign posted outside the gate that informs the public that Winter Wonderland will not open till noon that day.

Next thing she notices is Holdo, standing to the right of the Winter Wonderland entrance sign--baring its names, endcapped by pictures of Santa that smile in wave from their painted visages--ipad in hand, scrolling with a stylus. Beside her is a small group of people, carrying assorted cases and equipment for direct lights; the photography team. Three staff members from Winter Wonderland stand at attention, beaming at them, clearly eager to greet them, but holding, wanting to be professional.

“I’m thinking we start here in the Christmas Market, simple shots, looking like you’re walking through the park. Very natural,” Holdo instructs, and the photography team goes ahead into the park, going to set up at the small section that surrounded the ice rink. Leia makes her way to their liaison, looking over the ipad, likely at pre-approved poses they would be doing for their photoshoot. From Rey’s understanding, her outfit wasn’t the only thing Padme had to give her okay on. She even had to okay Ben’s fairly casual black slacks and black button down for this shoot, apparently, nothing was allowed to be sent to print without approval from the Queen.

“Are we ready?” Leia asks them, and they’re being led into the park before they even give a response. The guards salute as they pass, and the employees prostrate themselves in greeting, leading the way towards the Christmas Market where their official photographer is examining his lens. The man introduces himself at Vincent, promising to give them the best engagement photos they’ve ever seen. Vincent has three assistants, Elizabeth, Will, and Leslie, who are all bundled up in knit, protecting themselves against the crisp -2 degree weather, uncommonly cool for January, Rey feels. There’s a light powdering of snow covering the ground which Vincent asks his assistants to pick up and toss in the air so he can snap a few quick shots. He looks at his preview screen, nodding before beckoning them over.

“I know this is going to sound strange, but i want you to walk till the second booth here,” he points to the one showing Winter Wonderland souvenirs. “And stop, like you’re mid walk. Left foot out, right foot back on the toe, heel up. Keep your hands clasped and just look at each other with all the love in your hearts.”

“Why can’t we just walk naturally?” Ben asks, and his mother pokes him, telling him to do as Vincent says. He grumbles but concedes, taking Rey’s hand, leading her forward till they reach the booth, both stopping, trying to situate their feet like he said. She stumbles in her boots, falling against him with a laugh and she hears the distinct shudder of the camera before Elizabeth is running forward, moving their feet into place. They’re like human barbie dolls, there to be posed, and when they turn to look at each other Rey sticks her tongue out at him; more camera shutters.

Snow begins to fall over them a second later, and she swears she sees two of the assistants picking it up from the ground, throwing it in the air for the picture as Vincent snaps away.

“Can you turn for me? In profile,” Vincent calls. “Think classic film noir romance. The young lady following into her lover’s arms, foot popped, his arms around you…”

Rey turns, putting her hand to her forehead, swooning forward dramatically into Ben’s arms and she hears Holdo laugh at her antics as Ben catches her. “Not so dramatic,” Vincent amends, and he sends Elizabeth over again to pose them. She puts Rey’s hands on Ben’s chest, over his pecs, and puts Ben’s hands on her back, one on the lower and one on the upper. Elizabeth pushes Rey forward just a bit, to make her look more angular, encouraging to pop her foot back.

Once she does, Vincent is cooing at the brilliance, ordering his assistants to toss more snow into the air for the shot.

“Wait,” Leia calls, hurrying over, moving Rey’s left hand to Ben’s shoulder. “And get really close, like you’re going to kiss her.”

Ben shoots a look at his mother before leaning down, pressing his forehead to Rey’s, their noses touching, and she giggles, and Leia claps, declaring that is the ideal shot. Vincent seems to agree, and snaps away while Rey stands there, laughing at the insanity of the situation. “You think they’d appreciate it if we touched tongues?”

“Well, my mother did just catch us more intimately this morning,” he reminds, and they both laugh in their own embarrassment of the situation.

“How much do you think she actually saw?”

“Not as much as you think,” Leia calls over to them, from where she stands, just a few feet away. “But she’s also not deaf.”

Rey groans, collapsing against Ben’s shoulder. “Can a hole open and take us now?”

Ben chuckles, hugging her close, hiding her in the safety of his arms while the crowd around them deems it okay to laugh as well.

They take pictures under the skating rink tree, posing on the ground, holding each other and that feels much more natural. She hears Vincent, more than once, comment on their size difference, and Rey can’t stop herself from snuggling into Ben’s chest because he is like an oversized teddy bear sometimes. Though occasionally, Elizabeth runs over, moving their limbs into decidedly less natural positions for what they discern is the best photo.

They go to the Magical Ice Kingdom, sitting upon the thrones of ice, reaching for each other in one shot, and looking solemn the next. Employees of the park have started to arrive for the day, getting ready for the noon opening, some of them meandering around close, wanting to look, watch, as the photoshoot continues on. Rey can’t blame them. If she worked here, and saw all this staff she’d be curious too which is why she waves to them when she catches them looking. They look torn between waving back and pretending like they didn’t notice, so as not to be rude.

“Han and I are thinking a May wedding, right before Ben’s birthday,” Leia informs them as they walk towards a carnival game for some last minute shots. “I know it’s only four months away but sooner rather than later seems ideal.”

“Trying to sell me off before I’m 33?” Ben jokes, looking towards all the large carnival prizes; grabbing a white bear in a santa hat, handing it to Rey to hold for their picture.

“Well, we tried to marry you off before you were 30, but…” Leia jokes back, before returning to business mode. “I think May 11th is ideal. Then you can leave out for your honeymoon that Sunday, two weeks at a destination of your choice, then back here before May closes and we can host you a birthday party, and then start your tour by June 1st.”

“Tour?” Rey asks, hoping up onto the counter at Vincent’s prompting.

“Yes, nations you’ll visit within the commonwealth,” Leia elaborates. “We’ll solidify a plan closer to your wedding but Australia and New Zealand are good starting points. Perhaps Canada, or maybe we’ll have you start in Africa and work your way to Oceania and finish in Canada. It’s something we’ll map out.”

“It’s not as bad as it sounds,” Ben tells her lowly, coming to stand next to the counter as Rey hugs the bear. Vincent goes to snapping away, having more loose snow thrown over them as they sit there. “Honestly, it’s mainly shaking hands, sit in meetings, being a face, a representative of the royal family. All actual decisions are made by grandmother, so even though they can pitch financial, trade, diplomatic issues to us, we can’t actually answer them. All we can do is act as a messenger.”

“So basically it’s a very long vacation?”

“Mh, if your vacation involves eight hours a day of listening to issues from menial to major. A lot of diplomats have very droning voices, I have to pinch myself awake,” he answers, and she laughs, leaning over to kiss his cheek, using a finger to turn his chin to kiss his lips. He kisses her back, wrapping an arm around her to keep her close. It’s the most natural they’ve been all day, just gently kissing each other, albeit on the counter of a ring toss game.

Holdo, or maybe it’s Leia, clears her throat, and they break part, looking at their audience whose a mix of not wanting to stare, and grinning like a painted clown.

 

*  
**The Royal Family** @royalfamily 10m

HRH Prince Ben Solo, Duke of Cambridge will wed Miss Rey Kenobi on May 11, 2019 at Westminster Abbey.

**Tiffany & Co** @TiffanyAndCo 1h

Love the royal engagement ring? Check out our new #royalwedding campaign featuring one of a kind designs inspired by Rey Kenobi’s one of a kind Tiffany piece. #BelieveinLove

**Star Magazine UK** @Star_Magazine 8m

The royal wedding date has been set! Check out Ben and Rey’s engagement photos at Hyde Park’s Winter Wonderland.

**British Vogue** @BritishVogue 6m

We’re mad for Rey Kenobi’s engagement style. Find out how you can have the look! vogue.co.uk/article/vogue/royalwedding..

**TODAY** @Today_show 5m

The countdown has begun! 126 days until Rey Kenobi walks down the aisle! #royalwedding

**KOB_OfficialUK** @KOB_OfficialUK 4m

We will be organizing a group to camp out outside of Buckingham Palace starting May 10th at 17:00. Follow us for more information.

**KOB_OfficialUK** @KOB_OfficialUK 2m

Because people are asking, we can organize two groups, one outside of Westminster Abbey and one outside of Buckingham Palace depending on the number of people interested.

**KOB_OfficialUK** @KOB_OfficialUK 1m

We will be collaborating with @KOB_Official_Paris & @KOB_USA. So please follow them as well for further information.

*

So much white, a sea of it, spreading further than her eye could see, and whiter than the snow that had been on the ground earlier in the year. Bars of silver, break up the white, barely creating a contrast in the spaciousness of the room. A woman comes around one unit of dresses, ipad in hand, her fingers hurriedly moving over the screen. She’s around Leia’s age, if not older, gracefully greyed hair tied back into a bun of plaits, gold glasses sitting upon her nose. Rey thinks she remembers this woman at the garden party, though she can’t recall having met her personally.

“Oh,” she exclaims, looking up from her work to see Rey standing there awkwardly, shifting from foot to foot. “You’re here, I didn’t realize,” she says in way of apology, closing the gap between them, holding her hand out for Rey to shake. “I’m Pooja, Leia’s cousin.”

“Oh! It’s so nice to meet you,” replies Rey instantly, shaking the woman’s hand with gusto. Not sure if the occasion calls for curtsying or not. She wasn’t entirely sure of Pooja’s title, but she’s pretty sure she’s a duchess. Rey knows for a fact that Pooja’s mother, Sola, was princess royal, given the title by her father after she abdicated in favor of Padme. “I feel like I haven’t met any of the extended family.”

“Not intentionally, I’m sure. My mother had been in and out of hospitals for the past couple years, breast cancer,” Pooja explains as casually as if telling Rey there will be rain today. “She’s a fighter, that old bird, determined to live to see 105.”

“Determination is quite wonderful,” Rey tells her, and Pooja smiles, not baring teeth but more of a withholding smile as if she’s bogged down by the burden of her mother’s age and condition but fighting through it everyday.

She holds out her hand, making a turning motion, indicating for Rey to turn in circles. “Do a spin for me, love.”

Rey does, holding her arms out, spinning slowly so Pooja can take all sides of her. A measuring tape magically appears out of her pocket, and she has Rey hold her arms out, taking her measurements with mumbles and grumbles under her breath. “You know, my daughter, Karyn, will be helping me to design your dress. She’s rather new to the business, but very creative, a lot of potential. She just designed my other daughter Andy’s wedding dress. She had a destination wedding in Hawaii, absolutely gorgeous.”

“Bragging, are we?” Leia ribs, walking into the room, arms laden with lace that she brings to Rey, resting it over her shoulder, looking at Pooja. “This is from mother’s gown, I’d like to incorporate it somehow into Rey’s. If that’s alright.”

Rey looks at the lace, touching it, marveling at how smooth it is under her fingertips. This is from the dress Padme had worn over fifty years ago to her own wedding according to Leia. The dress itself was on display in Buckingham Palace, but there were pieces, snippets of the fabric left, removed when the dress was repaired for display. “I’d be honored.”

“Sorry, I’m late,” a new voice huffs, panting, as if the owner had just run a marathon to get up to the salon of Clarence House. The girl in question is a dark haired beauty, blue glasses perched on her nose, canvas bag over her t-shirt bearing shoulder. She looks more casual, like Rey usually dressed, more frazzled, but clearly related to the women standing before Rey. “I grabbed a couple of veil samples before I left but couldn’t find the walking veil we discussed.”

“This is my daughter, Karyn,” Pooja introduces, and Karyn raises her hand in a wave, pulling open her bag to show the white headpieces within. Her attention gets quickly diverted by the lace on Rey’s shoulder, her eyes widen as if she’s just been given a million pounds for free. She moves like a zombie, drawn to the lace, until her fingers are around it, bringing it to her cheek.

“1930s vintage silk lace, it’s so pristine, please tell me we’re using this,” Karyn begs, pleads, carefully taking the lace in hand.

“That’s the idea,” Leia confirms, and Karyn asks her mother for her Ipad to see her starter ideas.

She taps the screen, looking through whatever is on the screen before looking at Rey. “Any ideas silhouette wise? A-line? Sheath? Mermaid?”

“Mermaid is the one where it’s tight around your bum, right?” Rey confirms, adamantly standing firm on not wanting that type of dress; sure it would rip the second she tried to sit. Karyn looks her over for roughly two seconds before hurrying to a rack just over over from the fireplace, pushing through the dresses till she pulls one out, holding it up. It looks tight at the top before flaring out at the bottom. The top is beaded with no sleeves.

“Let’s try a fit and flare first, see what Aunt Leia thinks,” Karyn instructs, ushering Rey to a makeshift changing room, set up just for the wedding dresses. Karyn runs to grab a slip before joining Rey inside, informing her the white slip needed to go on first, and she was more than fine going braless with the strapless dress if she felt comfortable with it.

She removes her bra, her clothes, pulling on the slip before Karyn helps her pull the fit and flare dress over her head. Rey kind of wishes that Rose could be there with her, and Paige, and Jessika, Kaydel, and even Finn and Poe, to share in this moment, to help her get dressed, to help her say yes to the ideal dress. Unfortunately, nobody but five people would see her dress before the wedding day, to keep details of the gown from being leaked to the media, according to Leia. The four women is this room, plus Padme would be the only people to lay eyes on the gown before May 11th. On the one hand, it made Rey sad she couldn’t share details with her best friends. On the other, it made her feel like a spy, withholding secret information, and she imagined sitting across a table in sunglasses, sliding sketches of the gown back and forth as if it were classified codes.

“How do you deal with my cousin?” Karyn asks, moving around back of her to zip and button the dress.

Rey’s head whips to the side, eyes narrowing, sure she’s missed some part of that statement. “Excuse me?” she snaps, daring her to make an egregious comment concerning Ben’s bipolar disorder.

Karyn, luckily, seems to catch her misstep, shaking her head. “I didn’t mean to impugn…” she clears her throat, pulling on the dress till Rey feels it clasp in the back. “I meant, more in the way family gets on each other’s nerves, not because he’s touched.”

“....try not calling it touched like he’s broken.”

“I’m sorry, we’re really getting off wrong. I’ve known Ben all my life, and every family gathering he’s very sullen, never loquacious, just always stood there. Now, with you, he seems peaceful. Your engagement photos were a completely different man than the one I knew. I attempted a wisecrack, I failed,” she laments, smoothing out the dress before sliding the curtain open to let Leia and Pooja see the dress. Pooja immediately pinches her daughter, clearly having heard the conversation, offering the defense of her daughter being thoughtless.

Rey waves it off, refusing to let it ruin her day of dress picking. She does a turn, and Leia is the first one to say no. She takes Rey by the hips, showing how she likes the shape of the dress in the bodice, and Rey has the body for it--Rey thanks her for that--but she doesn’t like how it just flares at the bottom. Karyn runs to the racks, looking through them rapidly, keeping her gaze on Rey, then back on the dresses. “Try a princess,” Pooja tells her, using Padme’s lace to give Leia the idea of a sleeve in the fabric.

“Perhaps off the shoulders?” she ruminates over the idea as Karyn comes back with three dresses, leading Rey into the dress space again.

A new slip, a new dress, one that Leia immediately vetos the second the curtain is drawn away. Karyn says it’s a princess silhouette, composed primarily of tulle in the skirt with a satin bodice; Leia hates it. Rey can’t blame her, all the layers are not her style, and it took far too long to tie the corset back; she doesn’t want to make the wedding night that difficult. “I’m going to put her in the modern a-line.This particular dress has a short train, but it does have a button detailing that I think would look wonderful on Rey.”

She’s ushered back into the room and off the princess dress went and on an aline dress came. Karyn helped her into the slip just like the last two dresses, pulling the skirts over her head till it rested properly on her body. This dress has a three quarter sleeve, and is buttoned up the back, and was the most comfortable Rey had felt in a wedding dress so far, except for how high the collar came; she just wasn’t allowed to see herself in it.

She steps out, and Leia’s reaction was all that they needed to confirm they’d found the cut ideal for Rey. Pooja was in fast agreement, diving for her ipad and the attached stylus. She plops down on the floor, right then, ordering for Karyn to bring veils and a tiara to dress up the look. Pooja scribbles over the screen frantically, glancing up at Rey every now and then, asking Leia to hold Padme’s lace up. “Wrap it around the bodice,” she commands, and Leia complies, going under Rey’s arms to wrap the lace around Rey’s upper body, pulling it taunt.

“Can the collar not be so high?” Rey requests, tugging at the strip around her neck. “And not so many buttons on the back.”

“Don’t worry, I have the perfect idea,” answers Pooja and Karyn comes back with a cubic zirconia tiara, sparkle to place in her hair. Once thats in place, she pulls the first veil out, two tier, fingertip length.

“That feels to short,” Rey immediately tells her, wiggling back and forth, feeling it move around with her. Karyn doesn’t argue, replacing it with a cathedral length veil that extends way past the train of the dress she’s currently in, trailing behind her. When she imagines herself walking down the aisle, as a princess, this is the kind of veil she images; long and never-ending. “This one, I like this one.”

“You can add matching lace to the veil?”

Pooja nods to Leia’s inquiry, licking her lips, tapping with her stylus. Karyn looks over her shoulder, making comments about moving things there, lengthening that bit, add scallop there. Five minutes later Rey is looking at a rendering of her dress, drawn in blue with details in purple for them to clearly see the intent. Karyn will be taking over the majority of the work from her mother, as far as design goes, and where appliques and lace and beading will appear on the dress. But with the ipad in hand, Rey gets an idea of what she’ll look like on her wedding day.

“I can’t wait.”

*

“Nnh….”

Ben collapses to the bed, panting from the exertion of his third orgasm of the day while Rey lays there, staring up at the ceiling thinking having Ben moan in her ear is likely the hottest thing ever gifted to the planet. She rolls over when she thinks she can move, laying her head on his chest, scrunching her nose at how sweat covered they both are. A romantic bath might be in order, something cliche, with a tub full of bubbles, champagne, candles, and strawberries, like in the movies.

It’s Valentine’s Day after all, a day she’d started out with a red lace number that Ben had fallen over himself for. They’d had a nice breakfast--late, due to extracurriculars on the counter and subsequent clean up--before moving to the couch to enjoy a movie together, which turned into the second time they couldn’t keep their hands to themselves. Both had agreed that today would be their last time touching each other before their wedding night. No sex until May 11th, their wedding day, to make it seem as if they’d be chaste their whole relationship.

The only problem is, Ben is unmoving underneath her, not even moving his hands to wrap around her and she recognizes the signs. He’s moved from a solid 8 to somewhere around a 5. He’s not down, but he’s no longer in the up that set off their Valentine’s Day sex marathon. She looks up at him, and his eyes are closed, his fingers working his temple in concise circles. “Ben..?”

“Hm,” he noncommittally replies, opening one eye to look down at her

“...a five?”

He nods, closing the eye again, his body working to acclimate now the adrenaline of his mania was being swept away. She knew he had taken his meds this morning, it was the thing she double checked now before they even left the house. It was the first thing she’d checked even before she slipped into lingerie. “Do you want me to move?”

“You’re fine,” he replies instantly, almost frantic, as if he’s scared she’ll leave and never come back.

“I’m going to nap,” she decides, letting the waves of exhaustion crash over her, hoping he’ll do the same.

When she comes to--about an hour later, according to the clock--Ben is no longer in bed, but the water is running in the bathroom, so she grabs one of his shirts and pulls it on to go investigate finding Ben had a similar idea to her in terms of a bath. The room is filled with the scent of roses and lavender, the bubbles practically spilling over the edge of the tub, which meant he had to pour at least half a bottle in there; she never got that many bubbles from just a couple of squirts.There’s champagne chilling in a bucket, and a bowl of chocolate dipped strawberries, its all perfect.

“How are you feeling?” she asks, moving to sit on the edge of the tub. He dips his hand into the water, testing the temperature, deemening it acceptable.

“Closer to a six than a four. I didn’t want to ruin Valentine’s Day for you,” he answers, and she reaches for his hand, brining it up to kiss his knuckles, smiling when he rolls his eyes at her antics.

“Can’t ruin anything for me, sweetheart,” she winks, reaching down to splash him with the water. He stands up, pushing down the pants he’d slid on to assemble all of this, before stepping into the tub, looking at her expectantly. She shucks her shirt, tossing it to the floor, turning to put her feet in the tub. He slides down first, and she follows, moving into his lap, grabbing his arms to wrap around her. “Perfect!”

“Have you made a decision about work yet?” he questions, reaching for a strawberry, holding it out to her. Rey bites the tip, chewing thoughtfully. As it was, she was only there three days a week, sometimes only two and a half when something came up, like a volunteer opportunity at the children’s hospital. She’d been there twice this month alone, and still wanted to do more for them. She really enjoyed her work at Harrison, but things were quickly piling up in her schedule in a way she never expected.

“I don't know,” she confesses. “I love volunteering. I love the smile on the kid’s faces when I play board games with them, and just sit with them. At the same time, I don't want to be relying on you to support me. We’re getting married, it should be a balance, equality.”

“I understand.”

“You think I should quit?” she questions, looking back at him.

“I think you should, yes, until you see what the demands of being a Duchess are. I know you’re still hesitant over the tour, and I personally understand how demanding this can be and I don't want you to run yourself ragged trying to do everything.”

She could understand that. She didn’t want to be a drain on Harrison when she’d be gone for nearly three months between her wedding, her honeymoon, and the tour. It wasn’t fair to the regular employees, and it wasn’t exactly fair to somebody else who could do the job full time like Tilly. “I just...i went to school to be an engineer,” she reminds, resting back against him, resigned. “I didn’t exactly put ‘marry a prince’ into my life plan.”

“Does any woman?”

“Apparently. According to Finn the hashtag ‘It should have been me’ is very popular.”

“...as in, they think they should be marrying me instead of you?”

“Yep!” Rey says, popping the ‘p’ reaching for another strawberry. “You’re a hot commodity, Ben Solo.”

He reaches for her hand, stopping the strawberry before it gets to her mouth, guiding it to his own instead, biting it off at the stem, chewing thoughtfully as she stares at him, mouth open, like a startled fish. “Good to know,” he smirks.

She leans back, kissing his jaw, his cheek, anywhere she can get and thinks it’s going to be a long three month dry spell for her. But that’s what they agreed to, no more sex until their wedding night after Valentine’s Day, and as his lips meet hers, and she tastes the remnants of chocolate and tart that coat his lips, she thinks it’s going to be a very long three months.

*

She did it. She quit her job. They were more than gracious about it, offering for her to come back anytime after her schedule had become more flexible. Her boss was even understanding, and encouraged her to put her focus on her volunteer efforts because she’d already gained experience within their company in the short time she’d been there. Volunteering would look fantastic on her resume when she reapplied, and he was sure she’d do great things, where ever she worked. It was officially the best depart from any job she’d ever had.

“He might be the nicest boss in the history of bosses,” Rose decides as they enter Clarence House to the salute of the guards.

“That was might thought exactly,” Rey agrees, leading her upstairs to the dining room where they would be meeting Leia to choose flower arrangement and place settings. “Speaking of work, Paige isn’t still mad, is she?”

Due to Paige’s work at SCENE, she was excluded from knowing any details of the wedding plans till the day of, even though Rey had chosen her as one of her bridesmaids. There was not to be a single hole in the secrecy of their plans for this wedding, and even if she was a friend, Paige still worked for a public media outlet, which meant she could have no involvement in the plans. Even in picking her bridesmaids dress, that fell on Rose, who Rey had picked as her maid of honor; to tears and squeezing hugs from Rose.

“She understands but she’s still pouting about it.”

They walk into the dining hall to see the table lined with place settings, bouquets in varying hues at the center from all white to dramatic blues, at the end is fabric swatches, tulle in shades of ivory, rose , and white. “You’re here!” Leia exclaims in way of greeting, coming to them immediately, taking Rey’s hands to lead her towards a place setting of China, hand painted with pink roses. “What do you think?”

“Pretty but maybe a bit much for Ben,” she says, looking at the two nearby. One is white with gold swirls the other is white with ivy crawling along the edge, peppered with silver daisies. Rose circles the table making comments here and there about the plates, the glasses, and even the silver set. Rose, ironically, favors a set in silver, that features a long stemmed rose at one side of the plate, accented but small swirls of detail. Rey favors a set that has a gold band around the very edge, thin, to accentuate the thicker band of pastel blue and pink flowers. It’s soft, but includes the flowers her best friend and future mother-in-law are favoring.

Those plates are a front runner, followed by another gold plated set that has intricate detail swirls around it’s border; it looks the most nouveau riche. These, of course, are only for the reception lunch they’re having immediately following their wedding. An intimate reception of just family and invited friends would follow that, and Rey had insisted it be far more casual. She wanted a first dance, and group dance to things like the macarena, and the type of wedding reception you saw on youtube. Which meant picking out a reception dress, music, and a whole list of other things that had Leia texting Rey all hours.

They move onto flowers after over an hour of contemplating plates, Rey stands there like a mannequin for Leia and Rose to put bouquets in her hand, trying to decide which looks best with her look. “If only I knew what the dress looked like,” Rose attempts, and Leia bids her a nice try before putting a bouquet of roses in Rey’s hands, white with a spattering of baby’s breath.

“Roses are a bit overdone, aren’t they?” Rey asks, gravitating towards the lilies that are decorated with a couple of ivory colored roses. She lifts it, holding it in front of her while Leia tells her they’re casablanca lilies, and she definitely favors the look if Rey likes it. Rey does. It’s her favorite of all the bouquets even with the roses, which she had been wanting to avoid in her flowers. They’ll use the same layout for decoration, which means a fabric has to be chosen and Rose goes immediately for the ivory to bring out the rose color. “I think…” Rey starts, interrupted when one of the valets enters, bowing to them.

“I do apologize, but Ms. Rey, there is a woman who is insisting she speak with you,” he announces, and Leia’s eyebrows shot up. The woman couldn’t have come with a tour group, as Leia’s home was only open in August for visitors and after confirming that the woman had been vetted by security, she looks to Rey.

“A short woman? Is her name Maz?” Rey asks, putting the bouquet back in it’s holder.

“No, ma’am she said her name is Illyssa, she says she is your mother.”

She hears a glass break behind her, she’s not sure if it’s Leia or Rose who does the breaking. What she’s sure of is that heart is somewhere in the vicinity of her toes, never to crawl out again. “......my..what?”

*

They take tea on the balcony with a tray of finger sandwiches. Leia and Rose have stayed with her and she cant help herself from texting Ben every two seconds as they wait for this woman to be brought up. Ben has texted her no less than three times in five minutes, telling her he’d be there in 10 minutes if she wants him there. She’s on the fence about it, and tells him she’ll let him know, give him play by plays of what is happening. Leia has already contacted Holdo, asking for information on an Ilyssa, given that it’s an uncommon name, she doesn’t think she’ll be hard to find.

“Ms. Ilyssa Rogers, your highness,” the butler introduces, letting the woman exit onto the balcony and she’s nothing like Rey expects. She guesses she’s thinking of a well put together person, having tracked her down now that she’s in the public eye. This woman, Ilyssa, is not well put together. She looks decidedly homeless, in tattered jeans, a tshirt, and a ripped hoodie. Her eyes are hooded, she’s scrawny from malnourishment, brown hair pulled back in a ponytail. She’s jittery as she takes a seat, pushing up her sleeves to indulge in the sandwiches. On her arms are track marks, old, but there, and Rey can see Leia texting rapidly, likely adding the last name Rogers to the search.

“Kira…” is the first thing she says after eating two sandwiches. “You look beautiful, grown up..” It’s basically all she gets out before eating, stuffing fists fulls of sandwiches into her mouth, without sparing much of a glance towards Rey or Leia or even Rose. She downs the tea and requests more, and Rey has to cut in.

“You claim you’re my biological mother?” Rey asks, trying to keep her tone stern, unwavering as she looks at this woman.

“I am. I would recognize my daughter anywhere. When I saw you in that magazine, I couldn’t believe it…” she says, pulling a crumpled up paper from her pocket, flattening it out for Rey to see the shot of her and Ben sweetly kissing on the cover of STAR. They had paid a lot of money for that exclusive picture, Rey knew, and she’d seen it no less than twenty times when she walked anywhere.

Rey’s phone beeps under the table, and she hears Leia’s own phone beep. “Excuse me,” Rey says, pulling out her phone to see the text from Holdo, efficient as always when tasked with something. It took less than ten minutes to find out who this woman is, sent to them in the form of a PDF.

Ilyssa Rogers, born to William and Amilana Rogers in London in 1979. Rogers is a common surname but only one set of Rogers in England had a daughter named Ilyssa, so she’s sure this is the right woman. She was registered at a hospital in Brixton in Winter 1995, where she skipped out before paying any expenses which her father than covered at a later date. According to the records on hand, Ilyssa gave birth to a daughter that was taken with her when she left the hospital. The father was not named. The birth certificate only bore Ilyssa’s name and the name Kira Dawson. She found an old yearbook photo from when Iyssa was 14--from when the school in question updated their database to include classes as far back as 1965--and sent that as well, and sure enough it’s the same woman, almost unaging in all the years she’s been alive. The only difference is, the girl in the picture is smiling and bright, and the woman before them has been torn apart by years of drinking, and apparent drug abuse.

“You were how old when Rey was born?” Leia leads off.

Ilyssa sips the tea, gulping it down. “You mean Kira? I was 16. Ran away when I was 15, moved in with my boyfriend, Tommy, few months later there you were.”

“Tommy? That’s my biological father’s name?” Rey questions, still kind of skeptical about all of this. Leia asks what Ilyssa’s parents names are and she instantly replies Will and Ami, leading Rey to think she’s either a good imposter or the person she claims to be.

“We were smoking mates. He was in for the harder, meth, cocaine, you name it he probably did it. I tried to get cleaned up and next time I came back, you were gone and Tommy had all this money, fresh heroine, been looking for you ever since. You were five then, or almost five, I can’t remember exactly but he told me he gave you to a man named Unkar Plutt…”

Rey stilled, looking to Rose and Leia. There were few people that knew about her time with Unkar Plutt, and none of it was on official record, Plutt didn’t work anything on the books, he wasn’t that kind of man. She could name maybe ten people off the top of her head that knew about Unkar Plutt and three of them were deceased. “She has to be telling the truth….”

She texts Ben to come, because she can’t deal with this alone.

*

“I don't know what to do,” she expels, pacing across the gallery, back and forth, back and forth as Ben watches her, and Leia works with Holdo. Ilyssa has long since left, put up in a hotel for the night to clean up, look presentable while they all try to decide what to do. They told the woman she was free to stay the night there while they decide if they want to continue contact or not, if Rey wants to continue contact or not.

“I think we have tracked down the man, Tommy. I contacted the Rogers, or well, William Rogers. Amilana, unfortunately, passed away three years ago,” Holdo tells her, straight to the point, not coddling her despite the fact that her biological grandmother is also deceased. “William seemed surprised that Ilyssa had made contact with us and informed us to be wary. He did, however, remember the Tommy she talked about. Thomas Dawson. He is a criminal defense lawyer, at O'Brien and Kavanagh, just ten minutes from here on Oxford. I have contacted his secretary who informed me that Thomas has no prior engagements today.”

“I want to go!” Rey declares, looking to Ben who asks his mother to prepare a car. Rose comes to her, grabbing her hands, wanting to make sure she’s positive about this. “If these people are my parents, I want to know. I _need_ to know.”

*

She could have walked the distance between Clarence House and the office building. She keeps a hold on Ben’s hand as they travel to the twenty-first floor. A woman named Denise greets them, eyes widening at their presescence before waving them into Thomas Dawson’s office. The man is on the phone when they walk in, smiling to them, motioning to the chairs in front of him as he finishes his call. Rey takes a moment to look at him as she sits. His hair is dark just starting to grey at the edges, his eyes darker, he’s paler in complexion, but he’s put together, dressed sharply in a suit and red tie. He’s a stark contrast to Ilyssa, like night and day, and of the two, it looks like he worked harder to put his life together in the last 18 years since he threw a child away.

“I apologize,” he says, hanging up the phone. “What can I do for today’s hottest royal couple?”

“Do you know a woman named Iyssa?” Rey asks, cutting to the quick, looking to Ben when he grabs her hand to steady her.

Thomas’ eyes widen, looking her over, examining her like a student would examine a skeleton. His eyes search hers, looking, prying, trying to find a piece to a puzzle that he doesn’t know he’s trying to solve. The second emotion that passes across his eyes can easily be identified as the thought to stay and face this or run out of his office and never look back. “Kira..?” he whispers, calling for Denise to hold all his calls, clearly having decided on staying. “You’re Kira.”

“Rey...my name is Rey,” she corrects, squeezing Ben’s hand.

“No, yes, of course you are. How did you find me?” the tone is a bit accusatory, as if he hadn’t wanted to be found, and chances were, he didn’t.

“Iyssa found me….our..the royal family’s liaison contacted her father, William, and he gave us your name, told us you were a lawyer. Your last name was also on the birth certificate she dredged up from Brixton, and here we are. I, just, wanted to know if it was true.”

Thomas sighs, running his hand through his hair, resting back against his chair that squeaks under his weights. He has that torn look again, avoiding her eyes, looking to a framed picture then back again. “Depends on what Ilyssa told you. She’s a troubled woman, Ily, she always has been.”

“But you dated her,” Ben points out and Thomas nods, looking to that picture again before giving another sigh, longer than the last. As if he knew avoiding this wouldn’t make it go away, that he was cornered and had no choice but to talk.

“I was stupid. I was 22 when I met Ily, I had run away from my own home life, like Ily. My father was a drunk who took pleasure in beating me and my mother daily. I would have left sooner if I hadn’t wanted to stay with my mom. As it progressed she got sick, started smoking, using, and used me as a companion to smoke with. One night, she overdosed, and I left, and never looked back,” he says in resignation, and his eyes keep shifting to that picture, probably to a family he’s built in his 18 years of getting his act together.

“That’s how you met Ilyssa..” Rey surmises.

Thomas nods again. “We met at a party, a friend of a dealer, who held a party, a group party for using. I met her, and just fell into the waves that are Ilyssa Rogers. She knew, knows, how to play people, a master manipulator, she knew how to get the ‘good stuff’ as it were. When she got pregnant…” he sighs, covering his face with his hands..”..hell, I’m not going to pussyfoot this. I wanted her to get rid of it, get rid of you. I wasn’t suited to being a father, and she didn’t know how to be a mother. We were going to mess it up, but she became determined to have a best friend that would like her no matter what.

I tried to leave but nobody tells Ilyssa Rogers no. She pulled a knife, and cut me, and told me I wasn’t allowed to leave. I was so...high back then, so drugged up trying to escape that I stayed. Then you were born. Ily didn’t want to deal with you, so I cared for you, as you started to get bigger, Ily lost interest. She wanted you to be 16, not 3 or 4, and one day I saw you making breakfast on your own and I made the choice to give you away.”

“To Unkar Plutt,” Rey bit out, digging her nails into Ben’s hand.

“Who?...no,” he looks legitimately confused. He’s a lawyer, a talented fibber, but this seems genuine to her. “I called William and Amilana and told them they needed to take you because we were failing at parenthood. When I turned around, you were gone, and there was Ily with three men and a fresh stash of drugs. I didn’t even bother asking where you went, I just left, and never looked back. I checked myself into rehab, got clean, went to University and here I am now.. The last time I saw Ily was about ten years ago, at a bus stop near Buckingham Palace,” he goes silent, looking to the picture again. “With my family.”

“You never attempted to find your own daughter? Even after you straighten out your life? You just made a new family?” Ben asks for her.

“No. I had no desire to find you, Rey because I had reconciled to what had happened. I assumed you were either dead or had found a family that would love you and care for you properly,” he says bluntly, narrowing a look on her. “Did you?”

“....I was never adopted. A woman named Camyll Kenobi raised me, she was going to adopt me. After she passed a woman named Maz took up my caretaking.”

“And now you’re marrying into the royal family,” he points out. “Congratulations on that, my daughter is rather enamored with you. She just bought every tabloid with your engagement pictures.” He reaches out, turning the picture to her, showing him with an older boy in baseball gear, and a younger girl, maybe 14 at the time, dressed in a jersey, smiling. His new kids, her biological half siblings.

“Thank you,” she says before looking him up and down, and he turns the picture back to himself. “Ilyssa said you were the one that sold me off to Unkar Plutt that she’d been looking for me ever since and saw my pictures in a magazine; had to contact me.”

“I don't know an Unkar Plutt, not even then,” the same sincerity as before. “My dealer back then went by Maul, which I understand was a codename used by the same circle of dealers that operated out of a club called Canto Bight. From what I know, it doesn’t exist anymore.

Look, I’ll be candid with you, if Ilyssa has tracked you down it’s because she wants something. Money, jewels, clothing, anything she can get. If you want to know your biological family I recommend knowing William, her father, he lives in Scotland now near Loch Ness. I only met the man once, but he claims he saw Nessie in ‘61 and after his wife passed, he dedicated his life to finding the sea beast.”

“I see…” Rey simply says, looking to Ben, looking for a hint as to whether she should bother to pursue or just let the past die. She has her answers. She knows their names. She knows she looks like the man who donated semen to her creation. She knows she was sold for drugs, drinking money, like Maz had always told her. Maz had never lied to her. Maz was her family. Camyll, and Leia, and Han, and Finn, and Rose, and so many other people in her life that hadn’t thrown her away. Most importantly, Ben wanted her. Ben wouldn’t throw her away. “I’m glad I know now, who you are, who you were, thank you,” she tells him, standing up, keeping hold of Ben’s hand.

Thomas rises, bowing to them, bending at the waist. “It was nice to know you, your highness. I wish you nothing but the best.”

“Thank you,” she repeats before leaving, feeling content with walking away. Knowing, like him, she’d found a new family, that would love her unconditionally.

*

Ilyssa’s story changes before Rey even has a chance to tell her she’s met Thomas. Afterwards, she comes up with even more excuses, trying to backtrack in the lies she’s already told her. She tries to paint her parents as monsters, forcing her out, a completely different picture than what Thomas had shared; Rey is more keen to believe Thomas.

She apologizes, but tells Ilyssa she had a mother, two mothers, and now she has a mother-in-law, a father-in-law, and so much more family that would put her first over petty things like cash or drugs. She think Ilyssa’s true nature comes out when Rey tells her she doesn’t want further contact with her. The woman is like a hissing tom cat, telling Rey she’ll regret the decision, that she’s no good, she’s trash, and she should have got rid of her sooner. The conversation is done over the phone, but even through the receiver she thinks she hears the woman break the receiver.

Ben holds her later, as she cries herself to sleep.

*

“Is that my mother again?” Ben asked, looking at Rey’s phone as it practically vibrated off the seat between them. Rey tapped the screen, looking down, not wanting to move her head from where it lay on his shoulder. They’d been at Galactic City all day, and the kids had run her into the ground with a game of football, boys versus girls because the younger kids wanted to prove one sex was better than that other, and the other was boogey heads. They were equally a mess on the field, kicking the ball around without actually scoring goals that counted. It had been nice to have a day to unwind after everything that had gone down just three days ago. Maz seemed proud of her decision to meet the people, but ultimately making the decision to walk away. “You’ve always been strong willed.”

“Your sister, and Paige, asking if we’ve picked out colors for the florals. I told them blue and red, they seemed to think I was joking.”

“So cruel,” he chuckles, reaching up to stroke his fingers through her hair. “Jaina texted me three times asking if you were joking or not. I played along, and I have yet to hear the end of it.”

“I picked white and ivory for the flowers, and ivory tulle for the decorations. Gold filigree plates. Pictures are on my phone if you want to look,” she tells him, pushing it towards as it went off again. “Can we just elope?”

“Only if you’re planning my funeral instead of a reception.”

She giggles, snuggling closer to him, closing her eyes in relaxation. Letting the day’s exhaustion wash over her and take her away to dreamland.

“Want to hear something that will cheer you up?” he questions into her hair.

She snuggles even further into his chest. “Mm?”

“I booked us a Honeymoon Vacation at Disney World.”

She shoots up, looking him in the eyes for signs of deception. “Did you really?!”

“I booked us a suite at the Boardwalk Inn, we leave Sunday the 12th, and then I thought we could take the long way home and stop over in Paris for a weekend trip. You always said you wished you could just fly to Paris for a weekend,” he reminds her, and she could just kiss him, so she did, long and deep.

“I love you for giving me a Disney Honeymoon. We can take pictures with Mickey, right?”

“You can. I’ll just stand on the sidelines and hold your purse.”

“No, sir, if we’re going to Disney, you’re participating, ears and all, mister.”

“Whatever you say, sweetheart.”

*

Finn reaches for the chocolate ganache, wanting to taste it with the strawberry flavored cake, moaning in delight. Rose is partial to the raspberry white chocolate and Poe is basically purring over a butterscotch rum cake. Ben is partial to a reach spanish vanilla cake with custard filling, while Rey, herself, is torn between the vanilla, and a smooth mocha flavor that came couple with a white cream filling to break up the bitterness of the coffee.

“Mmh, you know, I know we don’t get to be involved in a lot of the planning,” Finn says around a mouthful of cake. “But i’ll happily sit here all day to try cakes.”

“Seconded,” Poe cheers, reaching for a lavender flavored cake, perfect for spring. Rose takes a bite of the rose water cake, holding it out to Rey to try and Rey cringes at the sweet tartness of it. It’s not for her.

Ben says absolutely not to an italian creme flavor and refuses to even put pistachio in his mouth. There’s a blueberry lemon they both like but feel rather on the fence about, and ultimately say no to it in favor of a blackberry brandy cake that practically dissolves on her tongue.

Leia wants to okay the flavors when they’re done, texting constantly from her meeting with her mother, wanting to know if they’ve picked their three favorites yet. Finn tries to prologue the testing, going for a red velvet, crying over the rich chocolatey flavor of it. They all decide, unanimously, on the spanish vanilla but opt for a butterscotch cream filling over the custard. Rey wants the mocha cake, but sides with Ben on the softer milk chocolate flavor that will appeal to the masses and fill it with just a simple chocolate buttercream filling.

The third flavor becomes the argument amongst the group. Rose has found a tangerine flavor that she decides to marry, while Poe is telling them they need to go with strawberry, “What’s a wedding without strawberry cake?”

Finn waxes poetic over the red velvet cake, and Rey thinks Shakespeare himself would be jealous of how Finn expresses his love for it.

Rey is leaning towards the blackberry brandy, but Ben has found a peach that he’s more prone to. At the very least, they can tell Leia they’ve picked two flavors, and she seems surprised they stayed fairly basic before asking about the third. They go around the table, trying all their front runners one more time after cleansing their pallet of the assorted mess. Rey narrows it to the blackberry, the peach, and the red velvet; Poe pouts over his remnants of strawberry cake, keeping them to himself.

They decide on the peach, and Finn dramatically calls for a re-count.

*  
Karyn comes in, followed by Pooja, both carrying the voluminous garment bag. They hang it up, unzipping the side, slowly revealing the dress to Rey’s eyes. She immediately stretches her hand forward to feel the silky white material of the skirt, to rub over the rhinestones of the belt, and the delicate smooth lace of the bodice that extend upwards into the sleeves.

“It’s beautiful,” she awes, as Karyn sets to removing it from the hanger, while Pooja fusses over her to get her into a slip and strapless bra they’d made to go with the dress. Once the undergarments are on she gets only a second to breathe before the dress is being pulled over her head, each layer of the skirt encasing her, sliding down her body till she can thread her arms through the sleeves.

The mother and daughter team trade off, Pooja going to fasten the dress in the back while Karyn kneels to help Rey in her shoes, a pair of satin flats with a small diamond brooch that Jaina had worn for her own wedding, and they happened to be the same size.

Karyn lets her step into the first shoe, offering her shoulder for balance to get Rey into the second shoe, declaring them perfect, straightening the dress back out. She feels the last button slide into place, and then hands were in her hair, fixing her half ponytail to accommodate the veil they’d put on when she stepped out. They step back, giving Rey a moment to breath, to look down at herself in all the white covered glory. “I’m a mallow,” she decides, trying to fight off the images of Ben seeing her in the dress.

“No! You look gorgeous!” Karyn tells her.

Rey steps out to where Leia is waiting, phone in hand as she’s constantly been lately with wedding plans. They had just had the save the date cards sent out last weekend--after her and Ben choose one of three options Padme gave them--and they still needed to get the invitations done. Rose, Paige, Jaina, and Emilyn were being fitted for dresses tomorrow, and Leia was still communicating with Holdo on security detail. Pooja and Karyn fluff the dress, pulling back the long train so it lays flat around her. Karyn places a tiara on her head--a placeholder for the real cartier tiara she’d be wearing for the wedding--fixing it accordingly, giving her mother the okay to add the veil.

It was a team effort to get the full length of the veil over her back. Pooja placed the comb in at the crown, her daughter making quick work of pulling the full length of the laced lined tulle veil out. Karyn flips the blusher piece over Rey’s face for just a moment before moving it back, situating it over the bottom tier.

“Thoughts?” Karyn prompts, moving away to get a full length mirror for Rey to see.

“Does anyone have tissues?” Leia asks, covering her mouth.

“You’re not allowed to cry!” Rey scolds, trying to fight back at her own tears at seeing herself in a wedding dress as Karyn brings the mirror into her view. She never imagined herself getting married, let alone in a wedding gown, yet here she was in a A-line off the shoulders dress with lace that had belonged to Ben’s grandmother covering the bodice, forming the sleeves, lining the veil. She turns right, and left, and can’t believe it’s real.

“How do you feel? How does everything fit?” Karyn asks, circling the dress, tugging here and there. She slides her fingers under the edge of the shoulder, humming in contemplation.

“I think it fits wonderfully,” Rey tells her, not minding the bit of looseness on the shoulders, even as Karyn pinched it to tighten. She places a pin in the bit, looking around, tugging at the waist till she was happy with how it fit Rey’s body.

“Just a nip and tuck and this dress will fit you like a dream.”

“You look beautiful, Rey, Ben will be brought to tears for sure when he sees you,” compliments Leia, her mother-in-law moving closer to examine the dress up close. “Absolutely beautiful.”

“I hope so,” Rey smiles. “If he doesn’t cry we’ll have to cancel the wedding.”

“Speaking of my son, I do need you two to agree on the menus mother sent you. So get him on that,” she reminds Rey, trying to get back into working mother mode, likely to combat the tears Rey can see streaming down her face. Rey knew they still need to pick a photographer--at least four, Leia told her--videographer, and there was a number of magazines already bidding for the exclusive behind the scenes information for the wedding.

“Um..actually, while you’re here,” Rey begins, pulling at her dress, not sure how to ask, what she wanted to ask. “...do you think..I mean..i don't really have...do you think Han would walk me down the aisle?”

Leia turns, whipping around, the tears even more copious then before. “I’m sure he’d be honored, Rey. He’d love to.”

Rey smiles back, lowering her face to hide her own tears. This was real. This was happening to her. She was getting married.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter is the Wedding!! I'm so excited for the chapter! It might turn out to be the longest one yet because I keep adding to it.
> 
> Thank you all again for reading!


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all again for all the wonderful comments and support, they make my heart swell, you guys have no idea!
> 
> The wedding is here!! That is all! Wedding, and more wedding!

“We’re having the rooms set up on the fifth,” Holdo tells them as they walk down the hall of Buckingham. Rey is here with Han and Leia today, while Ben is at work with the First Order, going over all the details to placate Leia whose been as frantic as Rey over preparing everything for the wedding. Leia had personally compiled the wedding guest list that included over nearly two thousand people, many of whom were influential singers and actors from around the country. Every charity Rey and Ben chose to receive donations in loo of gifts had already been notified, and their wedding website updated to include them. The thought of that much money rolling in for people that needed it made Rey happy.

Only 600 people were invited to the luncheon, and Leia had gone through the list thrice till she was happy, and now they were doing this, assuring space for he extended royal family; cousins, aunts, uncles from both the Naberrie and Skywalker families. “All 52 guest bedrooms will be prepped for assorted guests and family, that includes your friends like Finn and Poe, Jessika as well,” she continues as Han whistles randomly to himself, kicking at invisible dust.

Ever since Rey officially asked him to walk her down the aisle he’d been constant presence in the last minute details of the wedding. He didn’t have much input, he just was there, pretending to be apathetic to everything around him, while occasionally pointing something out on Leia’s Ipad. Ben had even told her that Han had accompanied him to his fitting for his wedding attire. He looked proud, Ben had told her.

“We have five rooms booked at the Hosnia Hotel, for you, and the bridal party, that includes Han, who will be riding with you to Westminster. Your guests will be escorted from the palace to the Abbey via The Mall in a series of vans, you will depart from the hotel shortly after her majesty departs Buckingham Palace, we’ll secure the time line with in the next week,” Holdo continues, nodding for the butlers to open the door to the balcony. “We have the rehearsal on the 10th, and we’ll drive the route then to give you an idea. You’ll go from Hosnia Hotel to Westminster Abbey from the Abbey to Buckingham Palace where you and Ben will then greet the public from this balcony.”

She squints in the sunlight, raising her hand to cover her eyes as she, Leia, Han, and Holdo walk out. Holdo motions out over The Mall where some tourists meander taking pictures of the palace, waving when they spot them standing there. Rey waves back, smiling, even if they can’t see her. “The streets will be lined, you’ll see the barriers start coming up on the 8th for the people who choose to camp out early.”

“How early is early?” Rey asks, turning to look at Holdo as she looks over her ipad., showing Leia the layouts for the procession, seperate cars for Luke and Mara Jade, and other cousins that needed to be mapped out.

“Pre-emptive online polls suggest people will start camping out as early as the evening of the 8th, but will grow in number by that Thursday. We have also received a number of requests for street celebrations in honor of your union.”

“Wow,” Rey whispers, looking out to the streets again where more people are waving, and she thinks a few of them shout her name to get her attention. To imagine people out here, wrapped in sleeping bags just to see her feels rather daunting, as if the eyes of the world will be on her for her special day.

“Don’t worry, we’re working closely with several law enforcement units to insure your safety and the safety of spectators for this event. It’s the event of the year,” Holdo smiles, leading her inside, beginning to discuss their post rehearsal dinner and who should be invited.

*

LenaMarie.tumblr.com -

**KNIGHTS OF BEN OFFICIAL MEET-UP POST**

Okay, everyone, we’re only TEN days out from the big day so I have compiled this full list of information for everyone wanting to meet-up.  
**What:** Royal Wedding Meet-up  
**When** : May 10th. 17:00  
**Where:** The Mall or Westminster Abbey

Important contacts to have:

**Knights of Ben UK contacts:**

Lena - LenaMarie.tumblr.com  
Michelle - BenSoloIsMyJam.tumblr.com  
Chrissy - Chrissy-the-duchess.tumblr.com

You can always reach all three of us via our shared twitters KOB_OfficialUK.

**Knights of Ben Paris contacts:**

Jeanne - StrawberryMacaroon.tumblr.com  
Adeline - AdelineJacquelineSolo.tumblr.com

You can also reach both on their shared twitter KOB_Official_Paris

**Knights of Ben USA contacts:**

Maggie - WelcomeToDeadZone.tumblr.com  
Ashley - Royal-Family-Watch.tumblr.com  
Luke - Here-for-food.tumblr.com

All three can also be reached through their shared facebook and twitter KOB_USA.

**WARNING FOR FANS INSIDE THE UK: WE CAN NOT BRING TENTS. AN OFFICIAL STATEMENT HAS BEEN ISSUED REGARDING TENTS. AS IN, THEY ARE NOT ALLOWED!**

Now that’s over, here’s the information you want to know, and I’ll split it into two sections.

**First: Buckingham Palace Squad**  
Team Leaders: Lena, Michelle, Jeanne, and Luke  
Meeting Place: Green Park Station  
How to get there: If you’re coming from King’s Cross taking the Overground Piccadilly, it will be the sixth stop after Piccadilly Circus Station. We will walk to The Mall from there to scoop out a spot. If you’re coming from London Heathrow, you can get to the Piccadilly from Terminal 4, and Green Park is the stop after Hyde Park Underground.  
Time: Official meeting time is 17:00 but we understand train delays, and unexpected situations. We will be at Green Park Station till 17:15 unless stated otherwise on one of our twitters so PLEASE follow us for those updates. If you have a phone that gets international service then PM either Lena or Michelle and we can exchange numbers for text updates.  
Dresscode: YES! There is a dresscode! We want to go full out! So wear your best royal family themed merch, t-shirts, flags, etc. Your country flag is great too! We also have a Knights of Ben t-shirt for sale on etsy that i’ll link at the bottom of this post.

**Second: Westminster Abbey Squad**  
Team Leaders: Chrissy, Adeline, Maggie and Ashley  
Meeting Place: Westminster Station  
How to Get There: If you’re coming from Kings Cross, take either the Piccadilly or Victoria to Green Park and then take the Jubilee to Westminster. If you’re coming from London Heathrow, take the Picadilly to Green Park, and once again, hook up with the Jubilee to Westminster. The Jubilee is nonstop from Green Park to Westminster.  
Time: Official meeting is 17:00 but Chrissy and Adeline are willing to wait closer to 18:00 for any delays as it’s a shorter walk from station to Abbey. If you have a phone with international service, please PM Chrissy and she can supply you with text updates.  
Dresscode: Same as above!

For Knights of Ben tshirts go to our Etsy HERE

Anyone flying in from anywhere, we have also made a airport meet-up post HERE or if you’re looking for roommates to save hotel costs, you can also use that post. But most hotels within walking distance of the The Mall and the Abbey are book solid, so be prepared to find something twenty or thirty minutes out. There’s a few options on Airbnb left, but they’re going fast.

**EDIT:** May 2, 2019. Official word is that there WILL be a rehearsal at Westminster Abbey on Friday, though there’s no word on what time. If you’re already in London, or have the free time, a group of us will be hanging out around the Abbey between 13:00 to around 16:00 before going to meetups.

*

Reblogging because we got to many asks to answer them individually. We will try to livestream when we can and Michelle will be handling live tweeting that day from outside Buckingham Palace. If you’re wanting to watch live streaming of the wedding itself you can find a number of news sites have youtube countdowns already up for it.

You can also go to The Royal Family youtube page **HERE** and they will also have a livestream set up and looks like it’s set to start just after 10BST (find your timezone HERE)

And from our understanding major outlets, CNN, BBC, I believe MTV, ABC, etc, will also be telecasting the wedding live, so please check your local stations and listings based on your country.

If we live stream we will share a link from our twitter NOT ON TUMBLR. Thank you!

*

Ben Solo is a fantastic kisser. Anyone that has ever kissed this man in their life and decided to break up with him, clearly did not know good kissing because Rey was more turned on by the way his tongue swiped across her than she’d ever been in her life; she tries not to think of the three months of celibacy they’ve been on. All she can think about is his body underneath hers, solid and rock hard, as she rocks in his lap, sucking on his tongue, chasing him when he tries to pull back for a breath. She wants him, and nobody has to know they broke their vow except for them. “God I want you,” she gasps when they pull away for the briefest of seconds.

He has no words just actions as he goes for the buttons of her top, sliding them from their loops with practiced ease. She goes for his buckle, wanting everything or nothing at the moment. All she can think about is quenching the thirst she feels from not having this man for far to long. “..going to fuck you, sweetheart,” he moans into her ear, and she about feels herself go over the edge from just that.

She’s pretty sure all she says is yes repeatedly as she works his belt, never realizing buckles were so difficult to get off. Ben’s mouth is seconds from descending to her breast when a throat clearing takes their attention from each other and to Mitaka, who, unabashedly, stands in the living room, looking at them like children who stole dessert before dinner. Ben makes to cover her back up, all while glaring at the man who taps his watch. “I do believe Ms. Rey was meant to leave five minutes ago.”

“We were just saying goodbye,” Rey says through a pant, extricating herself from Ben’s lap, smoothing out her top as she does.

“Were you?” Mitaka asks, looking at their state of dishelvement before pointedly lifting Rey’s suitcase. He doesn’t leave them this time, standing there, like a hawk watching a mouse, tapping his watch at them.

Rey sighs, turning to peck Ben’s lips. “You’re heading to Clarence House, right?”

He nods. “I’ll be with my parents till after the rehearsal, I believe I’m heading to Buckingham after, staying there.”

“You’ve got your meds? Everything you need?”

“Already packed, already texted my mother to make sure to remind me to take them, and told her to expect a text from you.”

“Good. Good,” Rey nods, launching herself at him, wrapping him in a hug, pulling him as close as she can get still wanting to sate her arousal, but knowing they can’t under watch.

“Just a couple more days, sweetheart,” he whispers, kissing her softly before peeling her away, gently, like a banana peel, handing her off to Mitaka. “Make sure she gets to Mitcham safe.”

“Of course, your highness,” he complies, picking up Rey’s bag, leading her out. Rey shoots one last look at her fiancee, giving him a half smile before exiting their home for the last time as Rey Kenobi.

*  
“You’ve both got your tuxes?” Rey demands, looking at Finn and Poe who hold up beers the second she walks in. She’s in no mood for a drink if they don’t have their tuxes ready.

“Yes, mum,” Finn instantly replies, face dropping when he realizes she’s going to be all business for a minute. “Our bags are all packed,” he tells her, placating, motioning to the suitcases in the corner that Mitaka needs to load to take to Buckingham ahead of them.

“You didn’t forget anything?” Rey double checks, going over the list she’d given them three days ago. “It’s going to be almost impossible to get to Mitcham Saturday morning if you did.”

Finn assures her that everything is packed just as BB8 comes barrelling down the stairs in front of Rose, who apparently let the dog out of the confinement of Poe’s bedroom. The orange and white dog heads straight for her, attempting to tackle her despite his small stature. She leans down, picking the fluffy dog up, smiling when he eagerly licks her face. “You’re the only good boy here, aren’t you, BB?” she coos to him, and he barks, sitting up at attention like a good boy.

She walks away from them, going to the reception room to sit on the couch, focusing on cuddling the puppy as Mitaka gets the rest of the bags loaded. Rose takes over, running a list to Poe and Finn to make sure they have absolutely everything Rey asked for. Once she’s assured they do-- “We've been asked seven times now,” Poe complains-- in fact, have everything she comes to plop down next to Rey, reaching over to ruffle BB’s head.

“A bit stressed?”

“And a bit randy,” Rey confirms, relaying the details of her parting kiss with Ben to her female best friend.

“You really haven’t touched each other in three months? Have you seen your fiancee? He’s kind of hot?” Rose teases and Rey groans, burying her face into BB’s fur, grumbling that she knows. She mutters something about trying to sleep next to him and not being able to indulge in her fantasies; it had been difficult. They hadn’t even slept naked in the same bed in three months, she always wore one of his shirts and he always wore sleeping pants so they wouldn’t be tempted.

Her phone dings in her pocket and she whimpers instinctively, wondering who could be texting her now when she was sure there wasn’t anything else that needed her approval. They had the hair and makeup booked, dresses were being delivered tomorrow night to the hotel, flowers were done, food was picked, guests lists finalized over two weeks ago, what could anyone else want from her? She digs her phone out to see it’s Jessika, and she deflates with relief to not see Holdo’s name for once.

“My girlfriend is crying. I just showed her the invite to the wedding. Not sure if she’s mad or excited.”

Rey giggles, showing the text to Rose. They’d only met Alyssa once through facetime at Christmas when the girl had been inebriated. Rey had been so busy with life she hadn’t seen Jessika since the beginning of April when they had coffee with Rose. Jessika had been incredibly busy at work, her whole life was the royal wedding right now, and Rey knew for a fact she was pulling twelve to sixteen hour shifts to try and scoop other media outlets.

A video text followed, and Rey beckons Rose over before clicking on it. The camera was focused on the redhead who was holding the invitation, holding a hand to her mouth and nose, clearly crying. “Are you serious? Is this real?” she asks, looking up, noticing the camera, eyes narrowing. “Is this a prank? It’s not very funny if this is a prank.”

“No. It’s real. I’m sending this to Rey right now.”

“This is real? I get to go to the royal wedding?” she asks, and Rey assumes Jessika nods because Alyssa turns upset, hurrying over to smack the girl repeatedly in an annoyed manner with the envelope. Jessika is laughing as her girlfriend laments the fact that she has no time to find something to wear and she should have told her sooner before she hugs her and thanks her a million times over for inviting her before the video cuts off.

“Okay, Mitaka has left, and told me to bring you this,” Finn tells her, holding out a white box as he and Poe come into the room, collapsing in an armchair together, curling up despite their size; they look haggard for having thirty seconds of work. Rose whispers to her that they always do that, it’s kind of obnoxious. BB jumps from Rey’s lap, and runs over to them, pile driving into their own conjoined laps, making himself comfortable. “Can we now have a drink to toast your wedding? Then spend the rest of the night eating Chinese food and watching Parks and Rec?”

“Sure,” Rey chirps, putting the box down, opening it to reveal it to Finn. “Top it off with red velvet cupcakes.”

Finn jumps up immediately, knocking BB8 sideways, and nearly kneeing Poe in a dangerous spot to get to the cupcakes. If he was annoyed with Rey’s last minute scurry, it was completely forgotten as he lifted the confections like they were the holy grail, eyes wide with wonder. “I love you! Marry me, please!”

“Spoken for,” Rey chuckles and they dive into a night of Netflix, to celebrate Rey’s final nights as an untethered woman.

*

**KOB_OfficialUK** @KOB_OfficialUK 1h

We’re here outside Westminster Abbey! If you want to meet us, just find the group wearing the #reylo shirts

**KOB_OfficialUK** @KOB_OfficialUK 45m

We’re on the half wall on Broad Sanctuary, there are barriers so you can’t cross over to the Abbey. No foot traffic either, guards have everyone walking The Sanctuary moving constantly.

**KOB_OfficialUK** @KOB_OfficialUK 40m

For those tweeting us that are having a hard time finding us, we’re literally right in front of Queen Amidala Centre, at the half wall, as close as guards are letting us right now.

**KOB_OfficialUK** @KOB_OfficialUK 30m

OMG! They just made notice that they’re getting ready to close the street. They’re closing down Broad Sanctuary and putting detour signs at Parliament and Great George.

**KOB_OfficialUK** @KOB_OfficialUK 10m

There’s about 50 or so guards here now, and more police are coming down as well. We’ve had to move against the barriers to not impede foot traffic. If you’re not camping out they won’t let you stop.

**KOB_OfficialUK** @KOB_OfficialUK 1m

...cars are arriving. I think the whole lot of us are close to hyperventilating.

*

“We’re still corroborating with Padme on whether she wants his highness to stay at Buckingham tonight or go to Clarence and arrive from there,” Holdo tells her as they head to the black Rolls Royce waiting for them outside. “Everyone!” Holdo claps, looking to the gathered group of people, waiting to head out to the church to run through the actual ceremony. “A brief rundown of what we’re looking at tomorrow, we’ll be loading cars and vans from here and traveling to Westminster via The Mall. Procession will proceed by rank, secretaries will be on hand to assist in loading. Members of the royal family will be traveling in cars, honored guests will be traveling in the larger convoys. Bridal party will be escorted with Miss Rey from Hosnia Hotel at exactly 10:45am after Her Majesty has departed. A full itinerary will be in your room this evening, please follow it closely, if you miss the convoy, you miss the wedding, understand?”

Everyone agrees that they understand and Holdo claps her hands, motioning for people to pile into cars, and order wasn’t particularly important right now except for Rey and Han who will ride separately, to emulate their arrival tomorrow. “Miss Tico, you’ll enter the church, and wait for Rey to arrive, at which point you’ll come out to meet her to help with her train,” Holdo informs her before Rose climbs in a car. Holdo touches an ear piece, muttering into it and filled cars began to depart, holding their assorted rehearsal guests.

Anakin hops into a car with Rose, under the excuse that the best man needed to get to know the maid of honor. Ben rides with his mother, and Luke slides in with them while Mara Jade rides with Finn and Poe, and Rey can already see Poe talking her ear off before they’re out of eye line. Paige gets the honor of riding solo with Hux, and the Fel family pile into their own car until only Rey, Han, and Holdo are left to get into their own car. “How’s the celibacy pact going?” Han ponders in casual conversation as their car takes off towards the Abbey.

“........awful,” Rey confesses, having learned it’s best to not try to divert the subject around Han. The man and his son were much to much alike for her to lie. “I’m ready for the wedding night.”

“Leia is ready for more grandkids. She’s sure you and Ben will have twins, since Jaina didn’t.”

“I don't think I could handle two at once,” Rey laughs nervously, resting against the seat, gazing out the window at the teams setting up barricades along the roads they traveled. Signs were being put over the bus stops that declared the stop no longer in service. A couple of bigger spaces were having stages set up, likely for the media, Rey assumes. She counts three stages being built as they drove past while Han relayed the wonders of having two kids at once to her, clearly sugarcoating over the difficulties of dealing with two children crying, screaming, wanting things at the same time. Rey had no doubt in her heart that Han was ready for more grandchildren, he seems to discuss it like it’s an adventure, even though he admits he was never father of the year.

They take the corner to the Abbey, and people have stopped to stare while guards stand at barriers, keeping everyone from crossing over and keeping foot traffic moving. Vehicular traffic is stopped on all sides despite green lights, police hold in the street, manually directing traffic. Their car pulls up to the door, and Holdo informs them there will be a red carpet there tomorrow. A guard comes up to open the door and Rose hurries out, not sure how fast she’s meant to be getting to the car. Han gets out on his side and comes around to stand at Rey’s side while Rose pretends to straighten out Rey’s invisible wedding dress. “Action pose,” Rey jokes, putting up a finger gun at the same time Rose does, posing back to back getting amused chuckles form around them.

“WE LOVE YOU REY!” a group shouts, and she turns towards the sound to a group of young-ish looking people waving to her. They all seem to be in matching outfits, whistling, shouting her name and she realizes they’re probably camping out here to see her from the look of the number of bags at their feet. She feels bad, knowing they’re about to spend 24 hours outside just to see her from this far away, and she looks to Holdo who looks back, eyes asking what’s wrong.

“I feel bad,” Rey says simply, with a lift of her shoulders.. “They came all this way can’t they come in and watch?”

“That would be a major security issue, Miss Rey. If we were to do that we’d need to run security checks, pat them down for anything that might cause you harm, removal of cellphones and…”

“Well, then why not do that?”

Holdo gives her another look as if wondering what the chances of Rey letting this go are. When she figures they’re slim to none she relays to the guards what Rey is wanting to do. The guards make their way to the barrier, talking to the group so Rey can’t hear, but she sees several of the girls cover their mouths and nod eagerly. One of the guard moves the barrier aside, pointing down to a point in the street where their bags will stay and Rey hears Holdo relay that they understand their bags are subject to search. They all seem to agree to the conditions, even consenting to a pat down for any weapons on their person before they’re waved through.

It’s a small group, of maybe 12 people, comprised mainly of girls with a couple boys in the mix, most of them wearing shirts that declare ‘#reylo May 11,2019’ across the front. Holdo has a guard escort the group inside, who all look at Rey in wonder, in disbelief of this moment, chattering as they enter the church.

They get back to rehearsal after the interruption, and Holdo leads them up to the doors where they meet a Father Paul, behind him is Father Mark and they explain offering a small blessing before walking down the aisle. Around them people are working rapidly to set out chairs, counting and recounting the rows as they move everything around. In a balcony above, Rey can see instruments being set up, moved around to make sure the full orchestra can be accommodated. “If I talk really loud can you lot hear me?” Rey calls down the length of the church, beaming when the group responds with several affirmatives.

Holdo details how Ben will enter through the side, waiting at the altar for her. Rey can hear Mara Jade scolding Anakin for something Rey can’t see but hears a number of titters from those who can. Paying no mind to the antics, Holdo shows everyone how they’ll be lining up behind her, Rose and Emilyn and then Jaina and Paige. “When we get down there I will show you your seats,” she instructs, nodding to Father Paul to walk them down the aisle.

It’s a long walk, longer than Rey expects and Holdo has them walking at the pace they’ll be walking tomorrow. Chairs are still being set up, hundreds, thousands, of them, stretching back till they hit the walls of the Abbey, hymnals being placed in the already set up chairs. When they pass under the orchestra balcony, Holdo points out where the boy’s choir will be seated, currently, the fans Rey let in are sitting in those seats and wave to her, undeterred in their joy by the guards standing post on other side of the group; they’re happy to be here. Rey waves back, and they continue on with the altar in sight, Leia fussing with Ben’s shirt, “Leave the boy alone, sweetheart,” Han calls and Leia backs off, moving to a seat to the right of the altar where Luke and Mara Jade stand with Jag. Finn and Poe are on the left side and wave with both arms above their heads, giving them thumbs up.

Holdo pauses them right before taking the two steps up to the kneeling pews. “When we get to this point, bridesmaids will take these three seats in front here,” she motions to the chairs that have tulle hanging off them, Rose’s seat is clearly the one with a pedestal for Rey’s bouquet. “Rose you will take the bouquet and then join them. The right side is Ben’s family, her majesty, who will be escorted by Luke will be the first seats, then Leia, Han, Mara Jade,” she names the chairs off, pointing to each as she goes, including an empty space for Anakin for when he steps down from the altar.

She gives them permission to walk up, and informs Rose she’ll fix Rey’s dress if need be at this point. They go over the hymns they’ll open with and Father Paul takes it from there. It’s the regular dearly beloved regimorale, letting the congregation know why they’re here, and they go through the first vows, pledging solidarity to each other, before asking if they’re accepting each other’s hand in marriage. When Father Paul turns to Rey she pauses, looking to Anakin. “Ani, are you single?”

“I do!” he speaks up, attempting to move Ben who looks unamused at him. “Or not..”

Rey chuckles. “I do. A thousand times over.”

Father Paul seems to have a small sense of humor but not to much and reminds her that all he needs is a simple affirmative to the question. He asks for who is giving her away, having Han take her right hand to put into Father Paul’s and then Father Paul puts it into Ben’s hand. They run the vows, in sickness and health, rich for poor, and Ben makes a joke about not signing up for the poor part and Rey laughs, Ben winks, Father Paul is not amused.

He asks for the ring and Anakin hands over an invisible ring that the father will bless and hold out to Ben. Ben takes it, puts it on her finger, and says the regular with this ring, I, thee, wed, line and Father Paul motions that they will now kneel. Han and Anakin will move off to their chairs and there will be a prayer, he’ll wrap their hands in a gold silk to bless the marriage and offer another prayer and blessing. Holdo mentions the inclusion of another hymn, but will discuss with the church after they run through rehearsal again.

The rest is essentially a regular service. Ben walks her to a set of chairs to the right where the nuns and other clergy will be seated. Their hymnals will be waiting for them, and Jag will read a scripture, a member of the clergy will read scripture and then they’ll move to the very front of the building, right under the grand stained glass window, they’ll kneel for more prayer, or hymns, and Holdo informs them that God Save the Queen will play around this time; again, she’ll verify the full schedule right after and have it sent to them. They’ll be escorted to a private chamber to the right for this first moments as husband and wife where they will sign a ledger. Unfortunately, Leia, Han, Anakin, and Rose will be there to witness it, so they’re not fully alone as Rey would have liked. They’ll exit through the left side and come down the steps to bow to Padme who will offer her blessing to the union and then they will exit together.

“Bridal style, right?” Rey asks, jumping up, glad that Ben knows her well enough to anticipate this and catch her under her knees, hoisting her up to a number of laughs. He walks down the aisle like that, carrying her while Holdo scolds them, begging them not to do that tomorrow, even as their fans coo over the picture they make. They’re to walk out together, hand in hand, to the horse drawn carriages that will take them back to Buckingham Palace.

When Ben gets to the door, he places her down, and Holdo tells them if they don’t take the second run through seriously, they’ll do a third and a fourth, and nobody wants to be here all night.

They comply.

*  
**KOB_OfficialUK** @KOB_OfficialUK 30m

I can’t believe...i am still in shock. We all are! Rey Kenobi INVITED US IN to watch her rehearsal. I’m still crying. #peoplesprincess #Royalwedding.

**KOB_OfficialUK** @KOB_OfficialUK 15m

Unfortunately, we can NOT share details of what we witnessed. It was one of the conditions of entering. No phones, no media, and we’re not allowed to disclose what we saw.

*  
_Anyone who has been in London this month would notice the number of flags that have appeared on the streets, lining buildings from WhiteChapel to Soho to Cambridge to Brixton. All across the UK flags hoisted in honor of the union have appeared, along with a number of street parties toasting the joining of the happy couple. Official merchandise lines the windows of every shop, coins, tea, plates, and even souvenirs bears all stating tomorrow’s date._

_Tonight, the eve of the marriage, of Prince Ben Solo to Rey Kenobi and the streets are lined with a different sort of celebrators, spectators, some who have been here since the eve of the 9th, waiting for a chance to wave at the royal couple as they pass in procession. A full 18 hours before the wedding is to start, we took to the streets to talk to some of the devoted fans of the royal family._

_40 year old Cynthia Haskins and husband Patrick, traveled from Germany to be here during the course of the wedding. “We actually planned our vacation in October, but when he heard the wedding was in May, and we’d happen to be in Germany. I altered our plans immediately to be in London,” she says, as she and Patrick sit on sleeping bags behind barricades that line The Mall._

_16 year old Sara traveled from France to London with 18 year old sister Casey in tow, both girls sport their homeland’s flags, along with souvenir rings matching that of Rey Kenobi’s. “I begged my parents for weeks!” Sara tells us. “This is all I wanted for my Birthday. To see Prince Ben and Rey Kenobi be married.”_

_Maria Zuniga and Carissa Davies flew all the way from Nebraska, in America to be here tonight, in order to see the future princess pass by. They both don grey dresses with black stockings, and rhinestone tiaras they fastened themselves. “The second the engagement was announced I turned to Maria and told her we had to go. So when our tax returns came, we put our money into our flight,” Carissa tells us, showing off her own collectors ring modeled after HRH Princess Leia’s own ring._

_“We wanted a prime spot outside of the palace,” Zuniga adds. “So that Ms. Kenobi would be sure to see our engagement looks that we made ourselves.”_

_The Huttons, a family of 4 from Portsmouth, says they wouldn’t deny their daughters a chance to see Rey Kenobi in person. Dubbed the People’s Princess, Rey Kenobi wasn’t born into nobility, in fact, before entering University, Rey Kenobi lived her days in a group home in Sutton where she learned tenacity and compassion for those around her. Since graduating, she has worked her days towards her goals of being an engineer, working an everyman’s job that the public finds “relatable”. A true Cinderella story…._

*

“Tonight, we raise our glass to Rey’s last night as Rey Kenobi, and to the start of her future as Rey Solo,” Paige toasts, raising her glass of champagne as Emilyn gives a snore from Rey’s bed, having fallen asleep during a rousing game of goldfish. They drink to that, and Paige levels a look on Rey, smiling, devious, plotting. “Off the record, one to ten scale, how good in bed is Ben?”

Jaina coughs, sputtering as the alcohol goes down the wrong pipe at the mention of sex and her brother in the same thought process. “Can I pretend my brother is sexless?” she asks, coughing at the remnants as she regains her breath.

Rey shakes her head, deciding to throw them a bone. “Mmh, depends on the night. A solid 11 most nights, but when he’s on? Like a 15.”

“A 15?!” it’s Rose coughing this time, looking at Rey with wide eyes. “Like, he gets business done more than once?”

“At least three times. Ben is very talented with his tongue.”

“Dear Lord,” Jaina bemoans, looking for a way to escape this conversation, but Rose and Paige are hooked. Rey doesn’t play prey to their expedition any longer, moving her fingers across her lips in a zipping motion, turning to signify they were locked. They look disappointed, but pull off to discuss the wedding tomorrow.

Rey looks towards the window, letting her eyes close. Tomorrow, in just over 12 hours, she’ll be married.

*

Rey stares out her window overlooking the street, overlooking Buckingham Palace, overlooking the slow trickles of people that were setting up in the street. It was just past six am in the morning and she could see police setting up more barricades, shuffling civilians along. “All these people already queuing to see me?”

“Hard to believe, isn’t it?” Jaina chuckles, looking at her phone, confirming the makeup artist was on time. “We’re still on schedule for the procession at noon.”

“They’re waiting six hours just for a chance to see me,” Rey awed even though she knew many of them had been there over 18 hours now, the idea just couldn’t cement; she turned to Jaina as idea struck. Jaina looks over at her, apparently able to see the light bulb that had appeared, already shaking her head to the negative. “It’s less than a ten minute walk away, and I don’t have anything to do till hair and makeup arrives..”

“Any chance I can persuade you?”

“Nope!” Rey beams, pulling her bridal robe tighter around herself, retying it to cover the tank top underneath. Jaina sighs, putting her phone to her ear, holding a finger up to Rey to signify a minute as Rey slides on her slip on shoes. She grabs her room key just as Jaina tells her Jag will meet her in the lobby, and she needed to be back before seven.

The couple of maids doing inventory before cleaning curtsy to her as she passes and she waves to them with a wide grin as she makes her way to the elevator. She steps in, the door closes and she’s on her way. Her future brother-in-law has forgone the lobby, waiting for her just outside the elevators when they open, offering his arm to her. “I’ve notified a couple of officers to follow you, and a few guardsmen.”

“Of course,” Rey sighs with a roll of her eyes, hooking her arm through his. He leads her through the lobby, out into the street--under a white canopy she thinks is there to protect her from view of the press--where they are met by the police and guard, who insist they use a car, which Rey agrees to, only to not waste time arguing. “Was it like this with you and Jaina?”

“Jaina wasn't second in line for the throne. We married at Windsor, it was quite a large affair, but when it comes to royal affairs yours and Ben’s is much larger, because he will be King.”

“In thirty years, maybe,” Rey tells him, waving to the group who drops their flags in disbelief of seeing her pass by. She keeps the window rolled down, practicing her wave as they make their way towards the Palace.  
“Sooner than that, realistically,” Jag amends as they drive past the Royal Mews. “Padme is going, as you know…”

Rey nods when she thought of the elderly woman and her fading memory. Nobody seemed particularly sad, if anything they seemed to accept the woman’s inevitable fate, claiming she was ready to be with her husband soon. Likely because Padme, herself, was adamant about the inevitably of death, and she had no plans to live forever. “Leia will want to see Ben king before she dies, so I’d say 18-20 years is more reasonable.”

Rey laughs, holding her stomach as the deep boned feelings. 18-20 years is a long time, but Jag states the number as if tomorrow they’ll wake up as King and Queen of this fine country. “Well, that gives us plenty of time to start our family, doesn’t it?”

Jag chuckles, seeming to agree.

They continue up the road, waving to commuters coming off the trains, and people who have parked and made the trek towards Spur road. The streets are fairly silent around Buckingham Palace, closed off, just for her wedding, except to the foot traffic of spectators and media who’ve come to watch her arrival later this afternoon. Ben had told her the streets were likely to be packed with people, but she doesn’t see that yet as turn the road that runs in front of the royal family home. The Guards salute as she passes, ever sentient in their post, refusing to move till she’s well on her way towards the grand fountain. Media is getting set up on their stage, and she seems them turn when they drive by, hurrying to turn their cameras on for footage.

Jag seems to become more firm at her side as they make their way around. She looks up to question him when she see it herself. Lining the Mall is hundreds of people, setting up blankets, and chairs, motioning to their family; thousands even, if she had to guess. Many of them are wrapped in blankets, snuggled up close together after the brisk night, sipping coffee from the nearby shops. There are people dressed in flags, and others are tying flags bearing her face to the barricades.

It’s Jag that refuses to let her move when they’re parked, giving orders to the police and guards like the military man he is, telling them to make sure no one crosses the barricades before turning an apology to Rey. “You’re going to have to stay in the road. There’s to many people for you to safely greet them.”

“..I understand,” she agrees, feeling kind of bad she can’t mingle properly with them. That is until the first scream rings out, and then suddenly she fully understands because the streets are filled with thousands of screams, and people moving forward as she exits the car; Jag stays glued to her side.

“We’ll go to the second lamp post,” he decides, leading her to the left side of the The Mall first, where people are already clamoring as close to the barricades as possible to meet her.

She reaches out to shake their hands, people taking photos with their cameras, yelling her name as she tries to shake every hand. “We’ve been here since last night!” a couple wearing #peoplesprincess tshirts tell her.

A woman from the otherside of The Mall yells her name and she turns to wave before offering the people her full attention again. A mother hoists her daughter up, both of them decked out in rhinestone shirts that read Padme, Leia, & Rey across the front, the back boldly states #Queen.

Two women push through the crowd, wearing identical black lace dresses, like the one Rey had worn in her engagement photos. Their heads sport tiaras and their fingers sport souvenir rings that look like hers, Leia’s and Jaina’s rings. They look on the verge of tears when they shake her hand, and when she offers them a hug they do breakdown crying, covering their mouths in the shock of it as she offers them an apologetic smile and moves on down the crowd.

She can see people running in the distance, trying to get to her before she disappears. She tries to reach back as far as she can, shaking all the hands thrust to her, waving to the press who have rushed to get their cameras out to eagerly take pictures. “We have to turn now,” Jag informs her, making her u-turn at the second lamp post as he designed to walk the opposite side of The Mall where people were already reaching for her, wanting to shake her hand.

A man decked from head to toe in their countries flag tells her she’s amazing as she shakes her hand, and a little girl baring her own tiara just stares up at her in disbelief. She thanks them all for coming, blinking when people say they’ve been here for two days now, wanting the prime spot in front of Buckingham Palace to see her and Ben’s exit onto the balcony for the first time as husband and wife. “Please! Rey!” someone yells in the midst of the crowd, holding up green wrapped flowers that Jag reaches out to take, looking them over before handing them to her.

“Thank you! These are lovely!” she tells them, continuing down the way, almost back to the fountain.

“This morning, we’re broadcasting live outside of Buckingham Palace where campers have been treated with a gift…” she hears an American newscaster say. She spots them in the crowd, and leans over into their frame shot, waving, startling the woman with the microphone who immediately finds her composure, reaching out to shake her hand, stuttering over herself. “Th-That was the woman who will be a princess in just 6 hours, out here, saying hello to her people..”

Jag urges her on to where they’re almost reaching the end of the group, police in yellow vests are motioning for traffic to stay out of the street, keeping in coming guests behind the newly erected barricades. Her personal police call for three more units to walk her back to her car as she finishes greeting the people. A little girl hands her a teddy bear and the girl’s parents snap a hundred pictures in the two seconds they exchange greetings.

The last woman that gets a chance to meet her has flown over from America like so many others. It’s her birthday, she tells Rey, and Rey offers to take a selfie with her and the woman sobs, hurriedly pulling out the phone to take the picture before Rey gets carted away to prepare for her wedding. She stops for the briefest moment to wave at everyone, as widely as she can, all of them screaming her name.

*  
**Keely Williams** @QueenKeKe 2m

Rey Kenobi just took a selfie with me. I am crying in this picture. It was worth the $1200 flight. I never expected this. #peoplesprincess #thetearsarereal #royalwedding

**Good Morning America** @GMA 4m

Future Princess of England Rey Kenobi surprised campers outside of Buckingham Palace this morning proving why she’s called the People's Princess. #royalwedding

**BBC** @BBC 1m

Rey Kenobi surprises us all at Buckingham Palace, taking a walk down The Mall to greet the people who thought they’d only glance the Princess from afar today. Truly inspiring.

**TODAY** @TodayShow 1m

I was photobombed by Rey Kenobi herself on air while waiting outside Buckingham Palace. Still in shock!! #peoplesprincess #royalwedding.

**Tina Travers** @TinasTravels 1m

Just three hours away from Rey Kenobi driving by on her way to Westminster Abbey. Check out my site @RoyalWatch for all the latest coverage of the royal wedding from right outside Buckingham Palace #royalwedding

*

_“Good Morning, and this is Amy Sprite, live outside Buckingham Palace where any moment now Rey Kenobi’s private escort car will be escorting her from hotel to WestMinster Abbey. Twitter is blowing up with a surprise visit the future Princess greeted them with just an hour ago. But Right now, let’s talk Royal wedding dress! Inside sources are saying that Her Majesty Queen Amidala’s own sister, Sola Naberrie, Countess of Snowden had a personal hand in designing Rey Kenobi’s royal wedding dress. I’m joined this morning by my co host, Lacey Storm, and our BBC correspondent, Jennifer Stillwell. Jennifer, what can we expect from the royal wedding dress?”_

_“Honestly, Amy, I think it’s going to be a rather elegant piece, reminiscent of Her Majesty’s own wedding/elopement frock that had been a simple sheath lace dress with a lace veil. I think we’ve all learned over the course of this last year that Rey Kenobi’s personal style is somewhere between sporty and flirty, I think that will be reflected in her gown. Of course, you’ll have the sleeve element, the coverage required in a church ceremony, but I don't think we’ll see a ballgown or poofy sleeves like Leia’s very 80s wedding gown….”_

*

It was one shuddering breath after another as the dress is brought out, unzipped and bared before her. Rose has tissues at the ready to dab at her eyes so makeup doesn't smudge. She had tried this dress off after her first fitting, had seen herself in it more than once, but today it felt real. Today, she was walking down the aisle in this dress to marry the man she’d fallen desperately in love with.

“No tears yet,” Paige teases, securing her corset bra into place, straightening her slip before nodding to Rose to start getting the dress off the hanger. Paige helped her into her shoes. She only had moments to admire them as the bulk of her dress came over her head, her arms coming up to accept the lace sleeves.

She stares at herself in the mirror, looking over the off the shoulder scalloped lace trimmed dress. A-line, Paige recites as easily as Karyn, with a smooth silk satin underneath a thin sheer tulle embellished with appliques, dotted with swarovski's that offered just the smallest bit of shine in the sunlight. When Rey saw the dress, she thought it was the perfect mix of Leia and Padme’s dresses, and she’s hopes they’ll all pleased with the final product. Once it’s on, it’s Rose dabbing at her eyes, handing tissues to her sister as they stare at her in the gown, zipped and buttoned in the back, fitted to her body like a well tailored glove.

“Dad is on his way up,” Jaina informs her, stopping to cover her mouth at the sight of her, wiping at her eyes. “You look stunning. If my brother doesn’t cry when you come down the aisle I give you permission to dump him.”

Rey giggles, releasing a breath as Paige declares the fixtures in the back all attached. “I’ll do that, Jaina.”

Emilyn comes out of the bathroom behind her mother, spinning in her white dress, making sure its to Rey’s liking. “You look so pretty,” Rey compliments as Jaina asks Emilyn to sit while they finish with Rey then they’ll head down to the car to go to the church. All her bridesmaids are dressed in white sheath dresses, sporting short sleeves and lace trim. They all seem fairly comfortable, including Emilyn, who is the odd one out in a cupcake style dress with a silk waist sash.

It’s Jaina that takes the honor of lifting Rey’s tiara from it’s velvet box, holding it up for her friends to see before she placed it on Rey’s hand, situating within the waves of her hair, adjusting till she could step back happy. When she steps back to let Rey see, she knew it was settled, she was really a princess under the sparkling of the diamond tiara. It was a beautiful crown jewel piece, the metal twisted in delicate loops and swirls before coated in diamonds. Every other point was adorned with a larger tear drop diamond, and she was almost afraid to know the value of the thing. Her hair had been styled after one of Leia’s looks, half up, half down, with braids working their way through, tied up to create texture.

A knock on the door has her looking, Jaina informing her it must be Han, so she opens the door to reveal said man on the other side, in a tux, pulling at his tie uncomfortably. “Well, damn, sweetheart, look at you…”

“Thanks,” she pinks as Paige holds up the finishing touch; her veil. Rey also hears the specs of the custom veil rehashed from Paige; who awes over the craftsmanship. Cathedral length, tulle with lace applique to match her dress, with a blusher that would cover her face, the classic veil for Ben to lift when he kissed her, like a real life fairytale. Paige places the veil, putting the blusher over Rey’s face, and then it was like fireworks exploding, Holdo enters the room, telling Rey’s bridal party they need to head out for the church now to be ready for Rey’s arrival.

It’s officially showtime.

“We’re heading out with the bridal party, your car is in ten minutes,” she tells Rey, ushering them all out of the room, including Han, double checking that Rey has her bouquet before closing the door. Rose, Paige, Jaina, and Emilyn take the elevator first with Holdo staying with Rey to carry her mile long train, looking at her watch as if she were out of time. By Rey’s calculations they still have a solid thirty minutes to get to the church in time for her 11 am wedding.

They take the next elevator down, stepping in, Holdo pressing the button for the ground floor. By the time they get to the ground floor Holdo is checking then double checking the time on her watch and her phone, waving off the Bridal Party to climb in the Rolls-Royce waiting for them. There was a total of four cars sitting there waiting, across from them are bike riding officers in yellow vests. Jaina and Emilyn are escorted into one car, while Paige and Rose take the one behind it, Holdo ushering them in as efficiently as can be managed, under her perceived time crunch. “Her Majesty just arrived,” she informs them.

Rey looks around the lobby, the empty lobby. Before when she’d been down with Jag there had at least be the occasional meandering body, now there was no one, except for her guards and one of the official photographs who is snapping away as she stands there. Holdo hurries over to her, leading her under the white tunnel to the third Rolls, the photographer starts snapping pictures as she comes through, running ahead to get more shots. Rey can hear the screams of people that had now lined the streets outside her hotel as Holdo ushers her into the car, having her slide very carefully across the seat to the otherside. The woman ran to the other side of the car, climbing into the passenger seat to help move Rey and her dress in while one of the lady's maids helped Han get in. Rey can see the people waving flags, waving at her, and she can see the hotel staff, lined up outside the hotel, at attention as they fold edges of Rey’s skirt over Han’s lap. “Nervous?” he asks, as they finish fussing, closing the door on his side. Holdo turns in her seat, closing her own door as the photographer ran around the car, continuing to snap pictures.

“Very,” Rey answers truthfully. “Make sure I don’t fall?”

“No guarantees on that one, kiddo,” he smirks, relaxing back as the car begins to move slowly forward. “I’m really happy Ben found you,” he whispers. “You’ve really helped fight his demons, we all see that. We’re all happy you’re joining this insane little clique we call a family.”

She reaches over, taking Han’s hand, squeezing it like she so often did with Ben. “I’m happy we found each other. We help defeat each other’s demons,” she says, opposite hand squeezing around her bouquet of white lilies. This felt like the family she was always meant to have, it just took her longer to find it.

A black Range Rover pulls up behind them as they move down the path Rey had just traveled that morning, now coated with thousands more people, packed in like fish in cans. She releases Han’s hand to wave as they pass, and their screams intensify. “They love you,” Han points out, shooting an occasional salute to the screaming people lining the roads of London.

“Weird having this many people love me,” she confesses, trying to wave to the thousands, if not millions of people that were out on the streets to see her, waving to as many of them as she could. If she had thought the mass was large this morning, it was nothing compared to what she was seeing now. Before, there was at least some moving room for people to move to and fro down The Mall, now it was all people, no sign of sidewalk beneath them, just flags and banners, and thousands upon thousands of waving hands.There were even some spots where people had shoved in to see the motorcade, so many that barricades were erected in for of officers in yellow vests, arms out, blocking the people from entering the streets.

“Not weird. You’re better at this then I ever was,” he tells her as they continue to wave, several people have bent themselves over the barricades in attempt to get closer to their car as they pass.

She chuckles, waving to a group on her right before taking a break as they crossed onto dirt under the arch that would lead them to the Abbey. “I’m sure that’s not true.”

“I was never meant for this kind of thing. I love Leia, love my kids, but I can’t tell you how many times I’ve wanted to bolt. I kind of threw myself into everything, because sometimes it’s hard. You’re like me, kid, you grew up with nothing, nobody to call your own. Solo, if you will,” and he smirks at his own pun. “Unlike me, you grew up to help people, love people, offer people better than what they had. I’m just kind of a scoundrel, take what I want, be damned who gets in my way. You, you were born to be a Princess.”

Rey looks at him, eyes wide, leaning over to kiss his cheek. “I think you have a softer heart than you let on, Han,” she tells him, recalling all those moments he took in private with Ben, ensuring his son was safe, healthy, happy. How he tried to engage with his kids every moment he got and how he always came back, even when the wind swept him elsewhere. He wasn’t perfect, but he was a good man.

She continues to wave, smiling as widely as possible, while Holdo sits in front, watching her from the mirror, smiling as if to ask if she’s having fun. Admittedly, waving, greeting the people is a welcome distraction from her nerves. Nerves that amplify as they make the turn onto Whitehall, and she can see Big Ben in the distance, inching closer and closer to the Abbey as bells become audible over the screams in the distance.

“Permission to be nervous?” Rey asks, bouncing her leg as the bells get louder. A trill, up and down, up and down, heralding her wedding.

Han chuckles, nodding. “Go ahead. Leia told me she threw up twice before our wedding.”

“...don’t mention vomit right now,” Rey says, feeling the turn of her stomach of they turn, and the Range Rover stops, the motorcycle cop disappearing forward. Two guards in red stand at the wait with enough distance to allow their car to slide between them. The captain of the guard is standing at attention and Rey is sure she’s going to fall on her face.

The car comes to a stop and the guard in red opens the door as Han works on moving all of her dress, cursing under his breath in a way that makes her giggle. She sees Rose, and another guard coming down the red carpet, making their way out to meet her as the screaming around them amplifies, almost drowning out the chorusing bells above them. The Captain asks if she will need a hand out and she gratefully accepts, putting her manicured hand in his gloved one, lifting the edges of her skirts to step out on the carpet. Rose offers to take her bouquet to help her balance.

_“Ben, this is Rey, she used to live here and now volunteers. Rey, this is Ben. His grandfather and Ben Kenobi were the best of friends….”_

_She’s awed by how his hand swallows up her own, encasing it so tightly in warmth; a fleece on a cold Winter morning warmth. A warm cup of tea with cinnamon on Christmas morning. She doesn't want to let go. “Ben..”_

_“Not a murderer, as you were likely thinking…”_

Rey smiles in thanks, straightening out her skirt and veil as she moves forward, taking several deep breaths until she’s sure she’s found her footing. Rose returns the bouquet to her, letting her know she’s going to grab her train for her. Rey smiles, more of a wince this time, as she takes a few more steps forward, waving to the mass of people around them, all screaming her name, waving flags from their countries. She waves and smiled, waves and smile, until Han comes around, taking her hand in his, leading her forward down the red carpet into the church.

“Haven’t fallen yet,” he jests.

“Very long aisle,” she reminds, unable to see where Ben is standing, only seeing a clergyman waiting for them at the door. He’s dressed in gold robes, and she’s having a hard time remembering his role in the church at the moment, a bishop or archbishop, she thinks. She stops before they reach him, turning around to wave one last time to the gathered people before she enters the church to become a wife. This is the last moment she sees the world as Rey Kenobi, as she takes the one step up to meet the man in gold, her future is officially set. In that moment, she forgets the man’s name, and greets him as Father Paul, if she’s wrong, he doesn’t correct her, instead, leading her into the church where she can see their invited guests rising to their feet.

Rose and Holdo fuss around her, straightening her train, her veil as Father Paul--confirmed when a member of the clergy whispers to him--offers a blessing. Behind him is Father Mark, in black robes with a red wrap, that she can’t recall the name of, not when all she can focus on is the silence around them as everybody moves into place. She hopes she’s still smiling, she’s not sure anymore, her cheeks have gone numb from exertion and she hopes she doesn’t look deranged. Just out of her peripherals she can see Rose take Emilyn’s hand, lining up behind her, Paige and Jaina standing behind them.

Holdo has just put the finishing touches on her veil when the fanfare of horns begins, and Rey feels like her stomach has dropped into her toes, faster than the horizontal drop of Stealth. She knows she’s lost her smile now, as fear takes over. Fear that she’s going to mess something up, fear that Ben is going to see her and change his mind, so many fears all at once she can’t keep up and she barely hears when the choir begins to sing a hymn that signals her own walk down the aisle.

_“You’re a jerk, you know that?” she concludes...._

_Behind her she hears Ben say, “Does she really not know who I am?”_

She knows the song, she’s meant to know the song, it was relevant to the Naberrie family’s rule, Ruwee’s father she thinks, or his grandfather, she’s having a hard time focusing on anything except the long red carpet under her feet as she robotically moves. Han grips her hand a bit tighter, whispering to her to breath, and smile, and she does, an opened mouth thing, probably all teeth that looks mad to the onlookers.

She’s surrounded by thousands of people she doesn’t recognize, billions of eyes watching around the world, wrapped in a cave of her own anxieties as she questions every decision that led her to this moment.

_“Do you have time for coffee?” he asks._

_…...“I’m sorry, what?”_

_“Coffee,” he repeats, enunciating each syllable. “There’s a Starbucks at the station.”_

_“I..” she stammers, tilting her head, double timing her steps to catch up with him, because he doesn’t slow down, just keeps walking as if he simply said, it looks like rain, to a stranger. “Did you just ask me out?”_

That evil little monster is gnawing at her brain until the moment she sees him, or the back of him, standing at the altar, dressed in a red coat, Anakin at his side, looking over his shoulder, likely whispering to Ben what she looks like. Ben looks back and suddenly the weight is gone, it’s like her heart is tied to the end of a hot air balloon and it’s lifting away.

She feels herself choke a bit on a sob and notes a woman put her hand to her mouth as if she’s feeling the emotions Rey is right at this moment. They’re pass the choir, and Rey can almost count the number of steps left to Ben. She thinks it’s ten, and counts as they go, smiling at Maz who is seated in the front on her left, handkerchief to her eyes. Rey notices a couple of the older kids from Galatic City are with her, and are offering Maz more tissues.

They climb the steps, four of them, and Rey can see Padme out of the corner of her eye, dabbing her own eyes. Leia is next to her, smiling as if she’d been given the greatest gift in the world. Rey thinks Luke might be next to Leia, but she can’t see once she’s at the alter, all she can see is Ben, and Anakin who leans over to tell her that Ben cried. Ben offers a cutting remark before leaning towards her, “You look absolutely stunning.”

“Suggesting I dont always,” she retorts, and she knows her smile is real now, as real as his own as he stares at her with nothing but love.

The organ begins to play the first hymn they’re meant to sing, Ben turns to her, offering to lift the veil from her face. He does so slowly, and Rey can hear a reaction from the family nearest them even as they shuffle to pick up their hymnals. The room around them comes alive with the voices of their guests, while she and Ben more or less speak the words, neither keen on singing. Anakin sings higher than necessary, apparently determined to get a rise from someone, but only they can hear him.

_“Somewhere to be? Another date?”_

_“With my mom, actually, in Westminster, so I should be going if I’m going to make it by five,” he tells her, unlocking his phone, sliding his fingers over the screen in practice motioned. He turns his new contact list to her, prompting her to put in her number. “If you think I’ve earned that second date, that is.”_

_“I think you’ve earned a consideration for a second date, but you are still leaving me for another woman…..We’ll see how I feel in a week.”_

When the song ends the words begin, and it becomes real all over. “Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today under the glory of our Lord to join this man and this woman…” Father Paul says, words continue even as a elephant roars in her ear because this is it, the part they rehearsed twice just the day before. That her and Ben had joked through, now was the time to actually speak words of devotion to each other, solidity, and fortitude. Not a soul speaks up as Father Paul asks for any objections, and he silently walks away as another man steps forward, and Rey is positive this is the archbishop, she remembers them telling her he would officiate.

He asks the questions, “Ben, will you give yourself to Rey to be her husband, to live with her according to God’s holy law? Will you love her, comfort her, honour and protect her, and, forsaking all others, be faithful to her so long as you both shall live?” No hesitations, Ben nods, and says, “I will.”

The archbishop turns to her, repeating the sentiments to love, honor, cherish Ben in his sickest moments, to forsake all others and give herself only to Ben till the day of her hear death. “I will,” she chokes out, feeling a tear slip from her eye.

_“I feel like I’m more of a Snape. I can relate to a lot of his motives, personally. I don't think I would have cared about James Potter safety either as long as my Lily Potter was safe….._

_Rey smiles, reaching over to take his hand again, letting their fingers thread together, sipping wine with her freehand. “Think you earned more hand holding.”_

_He pulls her hand up, kissing her knuckles, peering just over the edges of her fingers when he says, “I'm Honored.”_

“Who giveth this woman to be married to this man?” he asks, and Han takes her right hand in his, handing it off to the archbishop who places her hand into Ben’s; Ben’s fingers instinctively curl around her own and she’s reminded of the very first time they held hands. Correction, the very first time they had shaken hands outside of Galactic City when she had no idea who he was and she was just a nobody, doing her part to help the place she’d called home. She felt safe then, and she feels safe now.

“...in sickness and in health..” she hears, realizing all she was doing was staring at Ben, his eyes watering, and she knows she must be crying, because she feels the tear tracks, she tries to swallow past the lump in her throat as to not make a scene. He says the vows so straight face, so assuredly that all she wants to do is swing herself at him, hug him, and never let him go. The archbishop gestures for them to release hands, switching them so Ben’s layover hers, in the way hers had lain over his. She repeats the vows in whispers, giving herself to him, “I, Rey Kenobi, take thee, Ben Solo, to be my wedded Husband, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better for worse, for richer for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love, cherish, and to obey, till death us do part, according to God's holy ordinance; and thereto I give thee my troth.”

Her hand slides out of his, and Anakin comes forward, handing over the rings to the archbishop to bless. He says the prayer and Ben reaches to take the band, matched to her engagement ring. Ben reaches for her left hand, slowly pushing the silver band past her knuckles till it came to rest. “With this Ring I thee wed, with my body I thee worship, and with all my worldly goods I thee endow: In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Amen.”

_“You come from nothing, you are nothing…..But not to me.”_

_“You’re horrible at this!! Have you ever talked to a woman before?_

_“You’re not alone,” Rey whispered into his hair, nuzzling him affectionately…._

_His arms wrapped around her waist, hugging into her side. “Neither are you.”_

Another shuddering breath passes her lips, and she feels the weight of the ring on her finger as she kneels at the altar, head bowed, eyes closed in prayer as the archbishop talks to the lord.

_“Are you kicking things?”_

_“It kicked me,” he groused. “I did promise to tell you how I’m famous next time.”_

_“That you did….And I’m holding you to it, that way I don’t look like a total ponce next time a barista gawks at you.”_

_“You’re a prince.”_

_“I’m a prince,” he repeats, and she pulls the door closed in his face._

_“This isn’t a wedding proposal is it?”_

_“More like a show of courtship,” he whispers, pressing his head against hers. “Mom says it’ll make my grandmother happy to see you wearing something that signifies our relationship is serious.”_

_“Is it? Serious?” Rey asked, turning to look at him, eyes wide, unblinking as they caught his gaze, holding it in place like a cow in an alien tractor beam. “Are we serious?”_

_“I’m fifth date material, I think that’s pretty serious,” he quipped._

The archbishop joins their hands, wrapping it in gold cloth, making the sign of the cross, “For those who’ve God have joined together let no man put asunder.”

He unwraps the cloth, reciting how Rey and Ben have given themselves to each other, consented to join in holy union, given and received one another’s troth and with the ring he pronounces them to be husband and wife, and Rey can’t stop herself from smiling because it’s the first official time she’s been called Ben’s wife. The archbishop offers their marriage a blessing, making the sign of the cross, asking that God protect them, and watch over them with favor, that they may live together in this life and the next under his grace. “Life, everlasting,” he finishes, and the room at large choruses an amen.

_“What’s your mood today?”_

_“An eight? I’m actually in a pretty decent mood today.”_

_“Because of little ol’ me?” she flattered herself, pecking her lips. Ben grabbed her hand, bringing it to his lips, kissing her knuckles before pecking her lips in return._

_“Because of you.”_

They stand together as the next hymnal start, Ben taking her hand, leaning over to whisper to her. “Hard part is over.”

She nods in agreement, squeezing once as he leads her to the red velvet chairs, picking up the hymnal for her, before taking up his own so they could follow along. They sit together, Ben taking her hand between them as scripture is read by Jag. Rey feels as if she’s just in church service now, sitting, listening to the choir, listening to scripture spoken by official of the church. The only difference is, she hears her name pop up occasional within blessings the man gives during his reading, reciting that her and ben have been joined together under God. Rey can’t stop herself from leaning towards Ben to tell him, “Clearly they’ve never seen us in bed together.”

Ben covers his mouth to hide the snort of laughter he gives, turning it into a fabricated sneeze, glaring at her playfully from behind his hand. There’s another hymnal and then they move again, towards the front where the table is set with the four large plates, the candles, for them to kneel in front. The call for prayer, and Rey kneels with Ben, bowing her head through another round of prayers, and blessings; she feels like her knees will be red before long.

_“Rey, do you take Ben to be your awful bedded husband?”_

_Rey tries not to laugh, failing quite horribly when she agrees. “And Ben! Do you take Rey as your awfully ledded wife?”_

_“I do.”_

_“How do you feel about Scotland for Christmas?”_

_“...Scotland?” she blinks._

_“We’re, my family, is going to Holyrood Palace for Christmas and I thought you might like to join.”_

_“Oh…..”_

_“I’d like to spend Christmas with you, would you like to spend Christmas with me?” Ben questions._

_“I would love to spend Christmas with you, Ben Solo.”_

When they stand again, the choir sings, filling the room with the angelic voices of the young boys trained in the art. Trumpets soon cut in, blaring the opening reverie of a song sung from memory since childhood. Rey closes her eyes washing away in the words of God Save the Queen, thinking about how one day it might be sung in reference to the man beside her. The man that will be King.

Rose appears at her side, flowers in hand, holding them out to her to take. Ben takes her hand as Rose goes around to take her train. Ben leads the way to the ornate door, leading to the Chapel of St. Edward where they’ll have their first private moment as husband and wife; at least, as private as can be when Rose, Anakin, Leia and Han follow them into the room.

They sign the register together under the witness of their family, signify their marriage as official in the eyes of the Lord and the law. Han encourages them to kiss and Ben offers her a small press of the lips to appease their spectators until they’re alone for real to indulge in an actual kiss.

_“I love you,” Ben whispers, and it’s not exactly how Rey pictured confessing their feelings to each other; crying as they ride over the crest of his mental teardown._

_It doesn’t stop her from automatically replying, “I love you too.”_

“That was a weak kiss,” Han critiques before trying to proposition Leia into showing them how it’s done; Leia refuses.

With everything signed, dated, they leave the chamber arm in arm to the singing of the choir, stepping out of the room as Mr. and Mrs. Ben Solo. As Holdo had told them, they make their way down, stopping at Padme, bowing to her, the woman smiling in blessing, reaching for Rey’s hands, clasping them between her own.

They walk down the aisle together, arm in arm, husband and wife as their bridal party follow. The cheers of the crowds grow louder as they reach the exit and Ben, apparently, becomes bold. He whispers in her ear to hold on, just seconds before he effortlessly lifts her up into a bridal carry that’s she sure will have Holdo scolding them later. And that’s the way they make their exit, with him carrying her out to the carriage and the media going wild, yelling their names, trying to get a shot of him carrying her like the princess she had become.

_“.....A symbol of light and hope, that’s what you are to me, and that’s what these represent. That’s what you are to me, my ray of light.”_

_“That was so corny,” she titters, kissing him firmly, deeply, in thanks for the gift that she’d never remove. “I love you.”_

_“Happy Birthday, sweetheart.”_

The guards salute, staying in the position as they pass, the captain opening the carriage door for them, helping Ben to steady the vehicle as he steps up, cradling her like a precious treasure. He sets her down carefully, working to fix her skirts, and they both see Holdo standing in the doorway of the church looking disapproving, with no way to actually do anything about it. Rey made herself comfortable, as Ben set next to her, the captain closing the door. Rose and Anakin loaded in the carriage behind them, with Anakin whistling at them in mockery. They didn’t have to listen to it for long, as the coachmen snapped the horses into motion, and off they were, at an even trot on their way back to Buckingham Palace.

“You look so beautiful,” Ben compliments as they wave to their onlookers, their people.

“And you look very dashing,” she returns, leaning close to him, making the people around them go wild from the show of affection.

“Thank you..for marrying me,” he adds, turning away from her, waving to distract himself from the comment. She rests her head on his shoulder, moving as close as she could in the space allowed to them, using her non-waving hand to grasp his.

“Never have to thank me for that. I love you,” she reminds, waving to a little girl on her dad’s shoulders.

“I love you, too, sweetheart, more than anything.”

_“You have this habit of making everyone love you, just by being you. You’re abrasive, you make me work to be a better person, you don’t coddle me, and more often than not I feel like you do the most work in this relationship. But then, you have bad days too, and on those days, when you hug me, and tell me not to move, I think that maybe you need me too.”_

_“I do….I do need you, Ben.”_

*

“Is your arm tired?” Rose jokes as they make their way upstairs for pictures and their balcony debut.

“Very,” Rey laughs, rolling her shoulder. “I didn’t want to leave anyone out!” 

“It was such a beautiful wedding, you know?” Rose tells her, reaching for the hand Ben isn’t holding. “Paige cried twice, and I saw Finn go for the tissues. Leia was determined to break Han’s hand, I really hope they got close ups.”

“I, honestly, can’t wait to see the pictures.”

“It was a very nice wedding, cousin,” Anakin says, coming up to lay on Ben’s shoulder, looking up at him with a flutter of his eyelashes till Ben shrugs him off. The photographer takes advantage of the bridal party present, getting shots of Ben and Rey first as they wait for everyone else to arrive. Once he’s content, he has the best man and maid of honor step into the shot, adding more members of the bridal party as they come up to the room.

Holdo doesn’t get a chance to scold them when they’re still on a time crunch and the photographer wants to get every combination of photo imaginable. He puts Rey alone with Paige and Rose, and then Finn and Poe--both of whom kiss her cheek and offer her best wishes--Leia and Han, until she’s had her picture with everyone in the family. He does the same for Ben, working their way through every member of the royal family that stands around, offering congratulations on the wedding. Leia hugs her when she gets a second alone, welcoming her to their family, and she beams, bright and true. Han hugs her next, not offering much more than a grunt because to many people are watching and he has to maintain his cool.

They take a large group photo with the full of the bridal party plus Leia, Han and Padme; Holdo is constantly circling, fixing Rey’s dress to where it lays perfectly flat. Everyone steps out for a shot of just Padme with Rey and Ben, and then they take more shots with Leia and Han. Rey wants to sit down for a moment, but there’s no time as they’re ushered towards the balcony doors, Holdo ushering everyone into a makeshift line led out by Ben and Rey with Padme almost directly on Rey’s right.

The guards open the doors as one, and Rey’s breath catches in her throat at the sight that greets them. All she see is people, thousand and thousands of people, stretching so far down the Mall that she can’t see the concrete beneath their feet. They’re squeezed in as tight as possible, all screaming her name, waving flags, waving at her, at them. She hears Ben’s name, hear’s hers as they step out onto the balcony, waving to the people standing at the gates of Buckingham.

“Holy hell,” Paige whispers behind her, speaking out loud her very thoughts.

Leia and Han step out next to them, and Padme joins them, waving demurely to her people; their people. “Give them a kiss!” Poe calls from behind Luke as the rest of the royal family situates themselves on the balcony, waving in their own unique ways.

Ben doesn’t hesitate, turning to kiss her, dipping her back every so slightly to the cheers of the people below them. He rights her, putting his mouth to her ear, whispering so only she hears, “Want to make a baby tonight?”

She laughs, falling into him, smiling widely up at him. She loves this man so much.

As planes fly overhead, she doesn’t know what the future holds, but they’ll face it together as man and wife.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all again for reading and supporting this monster of a fic that was originally meant to be a quick one and done. There's one chapter left, that I will confess now is basically self-indulgent Ben/Rey go to DisneyWorld fluff that I just needed in my life.
> 
> I hope you'll stick around for it. Thank you!


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whoa! This chapter took longer than I thought it would to finish, for some reason, it just didn't want to connect correctly, and even now I feel like it's a mess. But, it's here, and it's finished. I want to thank everyone for their lovely comments, their kudos, and all the support I've gotten on this fic. 
> 
> Honestly, even though I updated rather quickly, I spent a solid two, three months writing it before I started posting. So really, It's been a mess for me. So, really, thank you for the support.
> 
> This is the last chapter, and the only chapter to feature SWITCHING POVS! I really wanted to include some of Ben's thoughts in this chapter, so there they are, stuck in here at random. That being said. Warnings in effect for Switching POV and Ben being so love sick it's disgusting.
> 
> That being said, i hope you enjoy the end.

Live will begin in 3...2...1

 

“Hello everyone, after going through many stages of permissions, I was granted permission to livestream our first day here at Magic Kingdom, my first time ever at Walt Disney World, and actually, my first time in America,” Rey tells the internet, reaching for the camera Mitaka is holding, turning it towards him. “Our cameraman today is Mitaka.”

 

Mitaka looked at the camera staying sentient in the way a proper guard was meant to, lest Holdo or ever more frightening, the Queen, might be watching his actions. Rey smiles at him over the go-pro, turning the camera to her husband who raises a brow at her. “My husband, and that’s still crazy to say, Ben, is with me, on our honeymoon! To Disney World!”

 

She's excited, practically vibrating out of her skin. Like every kid she’d grown up with Disney movies, they were safe watching for all ages in the group home, and like most kids that grew up in the 90s she’d seen those Disney World ads before the movie played. The child picking up the call from Goofy, or the little boys packing up their suitcases and she’d always wanted to go. Holdo had told them they could go somewhere remote, private, where no one would know where they were, but Rey had declined. Part of being royal was mingling with the people, and where would she get more mingling then at Walt Disney World plus Mickey!

 

“We’re here, waiting at the TTC, to board the monorail, and I’m crazy excited,” she tells the world, panning the camera around to show the boarding area, where employees--or well, cast members, as she heard them called--surround the small corral they’re in for car 2, asking people to continue to move to one of the available areas. The covered platform is become quite full with people as they inch in as close together as possible, all looking at them between questioning and disbelief. One guy has the gaul to call out to them, “Hey, you guys look like that royal couple that was all over TV on Saturday,” and she and Ben both laugh, as do several people around them.

A mother, with her little girl all decked out in Minnie Mouse apparel points to Rey, and tells her daughter, “She’s a real life princess.”

 

The little girl, no older than five, looks to Rey with wide eyes and Rey waves. The little girl, shy, waves back half heartedly, still staring at her like she’d love to make Rey her new barbie doll.

 

The monorail pulls into the station and an announcement asks they please stand clear of the doors as they open. Mitaka reclaims the go-pro, and they step onto the monorail, taking seats against the wall. The whole car is left empty except for them, Mitaka, their second personal guard, and two cast members who stepped on to ensure no one would board at any stop between here and the actual park entrance. The electronic voice asks that everyone please stand clear of the doors in both english and spanish before announcing the train’s departure from the station. Rey grabs Ben’s hand in her excitement, watching as they leave the darkness of the platform and head out towards the park, water--the Seven Seas Lagoon, the voice details--is to their right, and she can’t help but stare in awe. “A username Jason’sLane on youtube encourages you to try a dole whip, your highness,” Mitaka tells them as they ride towards the Contemporary Hotel in the distance, their first stop, the voice says. “And PrincessSarahofAsgard says you need to get a Mickey Bar, it’s a necessary experience.”

 

Rey nods, looking to Ben. “We’re going to be sugared up today.”

 

“Aren’t you hyper enough?” he teases, kissing her head, and she beams.

 

“User WorldCupVictory wants to know what you plan to ride first, and they hope it’s Space Mountain.”

 

“Oh..I don't know,” Rey confesses, looking to Ben. “We didn’t really plan out our rides much, I just wanted to be here. I guess we’ll figure it out when we get there.”

 

The monorail comes to a stop, the voice asking that everyone please stay clear of the doors. The cast members step off to block the doors, while their second guard steps up to the door to block the entrance as people pass by, looking confused. The cast members ask that traffic please keep moving to a different car. One mother looks incredibly peeved as she pushed her stroller along to the next car over until she seems to spot them, and her eyes widen, her finger moving upwards in a point.

 

The cast members step back on as the car gets ready to close. A family of five yells for them to wait, running up the ramp, the closest car being the one they’re in, the cast members go to block them and Rey waves them off. “It’s fine, they’ll miss the train otherwise,” she tells them and the family steps on, the older teen son muttering something about the damn car being empty anyways. He sits down with a younger girl, maybe 10, who is already wearing a Cinderella themed tiara they probably picked up at the gift store they could see on the first floor of the Contemporary. The elder girl is maybe 15, buried in her cellphone now that she can sit and not run. The parents are huffing, unloading their backpacks onto the floor to take the weight off as the doors closed, the same voice asking them to please stand clear of the doors in both english and spanish.

 

“With this kind of security you’d think the president is here or somethin’,” the husband says as the cast members stand between them and the family. The teen daughter glances up before going back down to her phone before her head snapped up and Rey swears she hears the crack of her spine in the force of it. Her phone goes sliding out of her head, and her mother scolds her for dropping the expensive electronic. “Oh...my...god..” the girl, Abigail--as named by her mother who tells the girl not to stare--says slowly, now staring at them with tears in her eyes. “......am I dreaming?”

 

Abigail’s mother looks over at them, smiling. “Oh, it’s just Prince Ben and Rey Kenobi,” she waves off, before whipping around so hard, Rey is definitely sure she heard something snap that time. “Do I bow? Should we..?”

 

“It’s fine,” Ben answers, holding up his hand. Abigail finds herself, moving as close to them as the cast member will let them.

 

“I watched your entire wedding! Got up at 3am just to make sure I didn’t miss anything. Your dress was gorgeous!”

 

“Thank you,” Rey tells her the monorail swaying as they make their way the last half mile to the park.

 

“I know it’s probably not proper to ask, but can I get a selfie with you? My friends back home will never believe this otherwise!” Abigail asks, and they’re guard goes to tell her it’s not proper when Rey stops him.  
  
“Tell you what, when we get off at the park, we’ll take a quick selfie, alright?” Rey indulges, knowing how she’d feel if she met an idol of hers in person, and she technically had, at her wedding, but had been to busy getting married to actually meet them. Abigail practically jumps off the monorail when they arrive, running over to where Ben and Rey are exiting, a bubble of space created around them by cast members as slew of people exit to start their vacation.

 

Abigail hands the phone off to her mother, and goes to stand with Ben and Rey, posing with double peace signs, thanking them a thousand times over. “Things like that is why she’s called the people’s princess,” Mitaka reads off from youtube. “Such a lucky girl to get to meet them.”

 

The young daughter wants a picture too, and runs over before the dad can usher them away. Her mother doesn’t complain, and gets the camera ready. Ben kneels down to the girls level on one knee, and takes her hand, bringing it up as if to kiss her knuckles. “Proper greeting for a proper princess,” he says, and Rey pretends to look off-put at her husband for flirting with someone else. The little girl blushes, running away as soon as the picture is taken to hide behind her dad’s legs.

 

Rey waves to them as they head down the ramp, her arms going around Ben’s waist, mumbling into his tshirt. “I want a baby.”

 

There was just something about watching her spouse interact with children that put her in a mood.

 

He chuckles, nuzzling her hair. “We’ll work on that later, sweetheart.”

 

They walk down the ramp, Rey practically skipping in her eagerness to get in, wanting to see the castle, and Mickey, and everything within. Mitaka reads comments from the youtube, and they answer when they can. “JimJamaJam asks if you’re going to Epcot because they would love to see pictures of you in the England Pavilion.”

 

“We’re going to Epcot tomorrow,” Rey laughs as they pass through an empty security table, while people line up to have their bags checked. Their front guard leads the way to a closed ticket both where a cast member is waiting, and they’re shown through, tapping their little wristbands to acknowledge their tickets; Ben wore a red, Rey got blue. On the other side a woman in a skirt and blazer waits for them, a sling over her shoulder, perfectly placed name tag that declares her to be Keiko from Sendai, Japan. Behind her is a man in shorts, and khaki vest, camera out, poised and ready, his bag over his shoulder holding lenses and cards and things he likely needs for the day. His name tag identifies him as Javier from Oxaca, Mexico.

 

Keiko bows to them in greeting, holding out a disney world bag she’d be holding. “I am Keiko,” she introduces, “I’ll be your guide around the Magic Kingdom today.”

 

Rey takes the bag, looking inside to see buttons that declare Happily Ever After, and a First Visit button for Rey which she pins proudly to her shirt before adding the other button. She pins Ben’s on for him, beaming up at him as she dives back into the bag for the mickey ears at the bottom. She doesn’t have to think twice before donning hers, and stares her husband down when he doesn’t immediately put on his. “I told you, Mickey ears!”

 

He slides them on, and Keiko takes the empty bag while Javier snaps away. Rey personally loves the wedding Mickey ears. Loves the little tiara upon the white set with a small veil down the back, while the groom ones are akin to a tuxedo party. You’re hear to be formal but also like to party, she giggles, and Mitaka shares sentiments of online viewers that Rey and Ben are the cutest couple. “We also have a special guest that would like to say hello,” Keiko tells them before the excited chirps of children give away the surprise.

 

Walking towards them is Mickey and Minnie, decked out in over the top royalty wear from a bright red dress on Minnie’s part with a full cape and golden crown, to the red and blue pantalones of Mickey. He wears an equally long cape and an equally shiney crown as Minnie, and they stroll together arm and arm, two cast members behind them that Rey assumes are handlers.

 

She can’t keep from excitedly pulling on Ben’s arm, pointing out that it’s Mickey Mouse. Mickey bowed, and Minnie curtsied--Rey couldn’t care that they were technically king and Queen so it should be her and Ben bowing-- and Rey just stood there while all her childhood dreams came true. They took pictures together with Ben and Rey in the center, Mickey and Minnie on either side, Javier clicking away. “When we have kids, we’re coming back, you know that right?” she tells him.

 

“Not even in the park yet, sweetheart,” he chuckles, pulling her closer.

 

Mickey holds out his arm to Rey, proposition to run away together, and Rey accepts, cheering over the fact that she’s holding arms with Mickey and it’s amazing. He leads her away from her husband, past crowds of people who shout to Mickey, and it feels nice that they’re not instantly recognizing her, just seeing their beloved childhood character. They get to the other side, and Mickey brings her hand to his plastic mouth, bowing to her before waving Minnie over.

 

Minnie deposits Ben with Rey before cursting, waving to them as they hurry off as a show on the main stage starts. Rey looks around, tears in her eyes because they’re at Walt Disney World.

 

*

 

Riding all the mountains--Space, Big Thunder, Splash--is officially off Rey’s bucket list. She’s gone through It’s a Small World, an experience she’ll never repeat, because it’s slightly one side of horrifying and got to ride through Neverland. Haunted Mansion might be her favorite thing, and even though she vows not to buy anything till the end of the day, she does walk away with a Haunted Mansion themed t shirt featuring the Hitchhiking Ghosts. They ride Pirates of the Caribbean, and the ride gets stuck, towards the end, and they’re stuck sitting for a solid ten minutes listening to A Pirate’s Life for Me; Ben is not amused.

 

They even do the small rides, like Dumbo and Aladdin’s magic carpets and Pooh’s hunny hunt, and stop off on the Carousel before going for lunch at Cinderella’s Royal Table.

 

“You realize you’ve been in a real palace, daily,” Ben tells her as she bounces with excitement as they make their way towards Cinderella, waiting to greet them.

 

They’ve ended their live stream, a solid two hours in, before entering the castle, so no one sees her over enthusiastic greeting to Cinderella except for her husband in their guards. They take pictures with her, and Cinderella asks if Ben is Rey’s Prince Charming. “Oh, you no idea,” Rey jokes, because it’s clear Cinderella doesn’t know who they are, and Rey’s not about to tell her.

 

They’re waved through to upstairs, and Rey can’t stop herself from skipping, trying to decide which Princess she was most excited to see. “Maybe Rapunzel, or Jasmine or Ariel?”

 

“How about all of them?” Ben compromises, asking for a table for two, with their guards seated close by as well as Javier and Keiko who seemed grateful to get off their feet for a bit. The host leads them to a table for two by the window, placing their entourage a table behind them that seats four. He leaves them with menus, and informs them their serve will be by momentarily.

 

Ben reaches for her head, absentmindedly, as if he doesn’t even think about the movement and she just smiles, threading their fingers as he contemplates a wine. When the server comes over she greets them with a smile, asking what they’re special occasion is, what they’re celebrating, and Rey gets to happily inform her they just got married; she doesn’t miss the grin from behind Ben’s menu.

 

She takes their drink order, and offers them a moment to choose their meal as she gets them. “I wonder if Ariel appreciates Cinderella’s Royal Chef offering a fish of the day,” Ben jokes, and Rey laughs, urging him not to ask that when Ariel comes out. Luckily, he doesn’t, he behaves, interacting with the princesses according to their scripts. Rey, on the other hand, decides to be overly excited with Rapunzel, who happily bounces with her, hugging her, while making jokes that Ben looks like an outlaw, just like her Eugene.

 

They share a chocolate dessert, and Rey thinks it’s the best day ever.

 

*

 

They get dole whip and set up near the stature of Walt and Mickey to wait for the fireworks to start. Keiko suggests an ideal spot for viewing, and they take it, joining a small group that have also decided to wait, to get the best spot. Mitaka lays a blanket down for them, and they sit, enjoying their ice cream. Ben got his plain, without the pineapple, but Rey went for it, encouraging them douse it in pineapple if they wanted to. He feeds her a bite of his plain vanilla and she’ll admit, it’s really good soft serve, but her pineapple is still better. She gets him to eat one bite; he declares its a bit to much pineapple for him.

 

It’s been such a jammed packed day, but as Rey looks at the map she thinks they squeezed everything in. They’d done the Astro Orbiters, Buzz Lightyear--Rey won, and she intended to gloat for the rest of the year--and even did the Carousel of Progress; Ben regrets ever hearing It’s a Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow. They rode, or well, cuddled on the People Mover and took the train around the park, she doesn’t think there’s a single thing they’ve missed.

 

Mitaka is laden with bags, which he gratefully puts down, full of the souvenirs Rey picked out for friends and family specifically from Magic Kingdom. Her goal was to get gifts at every park, plus there was still Disney Springs for other gifts.

 

“I’m sorry, do you mind if we sit here?” a woman asks, pointing to the empty spot next to them, and Rey gives her the go ahead. The woman pulls out her own blanket, laying it out, urging her daughter, Bianca, to sit while she parks a stroller housing a little boy gumming around a Mickey shaped toy. Bianca pouts, demanding a Mickey Bar, which her mother tells her is coming from her father buying them.

 

She looks at the children, and despite the pernicious child, Rey feels the itch again. The itch to start her own family with Ben.

 

The mother Ashleigh, kills time by talking to her. Rey learns the family is from Texas, and had been planning this trip for over a year. Rey tells her they’re from London and her eyes widen, “I thought you sounded English, didn’t want to assume though.”

 

Rey chuckles, having expected her to realize who they were, like so many other people did throughout the park. The father returns, and Bianca gets her Mickey bar, going quiet to devour the treat. “Are you rich?” the little girl asks around a mouthful of chocolate and her father scolds her. “If you were my mom would you buy me a unicorn?”

 

Ashleigh looks exasperatedly at her off-spring, shaking her head, apologizing for the girl. “Children have no filter. Do you two have kids?”

 

“Not yet,” Ben answers, handing off his trash to Mitaka who offers to dispose of the refuse.

 

“You’re just married, you have time,” Ashleigh waves off. They continue like that, trading and sharing stories about their spouses, their in-laws, their day to day lives. “This one leaves his socks everywhere,” Ashleigh laments, shoving her thumb towards her husband who looks affronted. “Can never find a match.”

 

“Ben is a neat freak, I can’t see him throwing his socks on the ground.”

 

“Oh sweetie, you’re a newlywed, trust me, guys act totally different before the I Do. After? All best are off, that’s when you get to see him with his make-up off.”

 

Rey smiles, hugging Ben around his middle, looking up at him. Her husband wasn’t like that at all, if he was messy, she’d have seen it by now. He kisses her head, and they stay like that, cuddling together in the Florida heat, looking to the sky for the end of the night fireworks display.

 

If she cries when Ben sings See The Light against her hair, well, that’s between her and his wet t-shirt.

 

She loves this man, so much.

 

*

 

He holds Rey’s hand as they walk through the front of EPCOT, past the Leave a Legacy tiles that bear his own family’s names where in the mess. He remembers his mother buying them when she and Han had brought Ben and his siblings here so many years ago, leaving their names behind for future generations of Solo and Skywalker children to see. He remembers how stupid he thought it was then, partly because he was moving into his difficult teen years, and partly because of the legacy that already existed across their home country. He remembers how he asked his mother how much more legacy they needed, and she had told him it was about making memories.

 

Rey didn’t give much thought to the etched tiles as they passed, focused on the silver globe of that house Spaceship earth in front of them. Ben knew if he told her his family was somewhere in those monoliths, she’d be determined to find him. For now, he would keep his silence, maybe on the way he’d let her hunt and peck. At this moment, she seemed determined to enter Spaceship Earth, after which she wanted to go to Test Track. The engineer was coming out in her, in mass, wanting to tinker with everything in the park that claimed it was a ‘build your own’ experience.

 

Their park guide for the day--Veronica from Lancaster, Ohio--explains to them that Ray Bradbury, author of Fahrenheit 451, helped design the signature ball that housed Spaceship Earth; it reaches 180 feet tall. Rey awes over it as they travel into the sphere through the exit room that leads off into, what Ben thinks, is a play center for kids. The ride is unstopping, people getting off, and the conveyor keeps moving. Rey hops on, and Ben follows, Mitaka and their second guard gets in behind them as it the ride moves around to the front and more guests load into the open cars.

 

The doors close automatically and they’re off on a 16 minute ride through history that has Rey laying against his shoulder, looking around at everything around them, pointing out her favorite points in history. She keeps her hand on his thigh, rubbing in small concise circles, teasingly groping him in a way she can get away with on dark rides, like she did in Haunted Mansion. Rey likes sneaking kisses when the room is particularly dark and Ben indulges her, kissing back, enjoying how playful she gets. It’s small moments where he can’t help but think how much he really loves her, how light she makes him feel. “I love you.”

 

“I know,” she replies, chuckling against his neck, where she nuzzles him.

 

When they exit, Rey demands to go to Test Track, in that way of hers that’s a request, polite, but with eyes wide enough that you’ll bend to her will because she’s perfect. Everytime she asks him for something, all she has to do is blink those eyes at him, ask him, say his name, and he folds, he can’t help himself. Hux had joked that he’s whipped. Ben knows it’s true. He doesn't care.

 

They go through the Fast Track lane at Test Track so that Rey can build her car, she’s more interested in doing that than actually riding the ride itself. It’s a short wait in comparison to the 120 minutes in the regular line, but he knows Mitaka gets itchy about them being in a crowd for to long. The teen girls that recognize them ask inane questions like, “Was your tiara real?”

 

“Was it heavy?”

 

Rey being the sweet woman she is to the public, answers them, humoring them in their inquiries. The people that don’t recognize them raise eyebrows in confusion, moving their families along down the line, wanting to get on the ride to get to other things. An old couple says they resemble the pictures they saw in the England souvenir shop, and they both laugh, Rey looking at him. “We look like that couple, Ben, did you hear?”

 

“I heard.”

 

When they make it to the consoles, Rey’s disappoint is immediate. There’s a timer, for one, for two, the adjustments they can make are minimal, and the numbers it reads out on the left hand side are apparently arbitrary, according to Rey. She goes on a spiel, that admittedly, he can’t one hundred percent follow when they’re led away to join the line to board one of the cars. The ride boasts a competition, but he doesn’t exactly see how it works. He feels like the computer would have lost track of the numbers by the time they reached the actual ride, and the numbers they see come up during the ride all seem to be fake, random even. On the plus side, Rey doesn’t seem to notice. In fact, she thrills in the ride, the brake test, the heat test, and cheers when it tells them to get ready for the speed test and they go blasting around the track. Her joy is all that matters.

 

They go on Mission Space before heading to Soarin’. Ben can hardly believe the near three hour wait time for the attraction. He’s actually thrilled they have a guide that will lead them through the exit, straight passed the line to cue up for the next ‘flight’ because he knows Rey really wants to do the ride, but three hours sounds absolutely taxing.

 

The ride, as it turns out, is actually pretty thrilling, if not tame. They ‘soar’ over landmarks of the world, Sydney, India, Paris, all with little touches of smell, wind, and the occasional mist of water to intensify the experience. Once again, it comes down to Rey loving it, and she hugs him as soon as the ride is over, “I can’t wait till we’re actually _in_ Paris.”

 

He knows it’s not exactly logical, but he thinks he would buy her Paris if she wanted it.

 

BY the time they get to the world showcase it’s nearly lunchtime so Veronica asks where they’d like to eat. She’s leading them towards Mexico first, and offers suggestions, based on the countries closest to them. “I think Japan or Italy sounds the most alluring,” Ben states his opinion, looking to Rey who is focused on the Mayan temple before them, likely wondering is she could scale the thing. He has no doubt she could.

 

“Let’s do the one in Japan,” Rey decides, and Veronica steps away to place reservations for them. They get a slot at one, which gives them time to explore the countries on their way to Japan. Starting with Mexico. They wander around inside, seeing primarily shopping, and a short boat ride at the back. There’s a bar, and a couple restaurants, which Ben quickly finds out is a running theme in the World Showcase.

 

Every country is beautifully done, sculpted, modeled to look like they’re real life counterparts. They’re simply a taste of the real thing, which he supposes is the point. Rey enjoys it, and she can’t help but pick up little trinkets at each stop along the way to Japan with no clear recepient of the gifts in mind, just that she’d gift them to someone,.

 

They ride the Frozen themed boat ride in Norway, and catch a glimpse of the tail end of a Chinese acrobat show in China. They share caramel in Germany and Rey can’t help but buy them both handmade Venetian masks in Italy. “I’ll find a reason for us to wear them. Halloween maybe? We’ll be Jareth and Sarah from the Labyrinth.”

 

America’s pavilion is short and not particularly noteworthy, which he supposes is due to the fact that the park itself is in America. When they spot the five story pagoda that marks the entrance to Japan, Rey takes off running, stopping just short of going into the shop without him. They go in, and are immediately assaulted by Hello Kitty merchandise. Despite going to the theme park with Emilyn, Ben can honestly say he’s never seen so much Hello Kitty in one place in his life.

 

Rey keeps ahold of his hand as they wander the shop, looking at the assortment of toys, anime, and cultural merchandise. When she spots the kimono in the corner, she goes into the shop, awing at the array of colored fabrics. “Do you want to try one on?” Ben asks, looking at his watch. There’s a few minutes to spare before their reservation.

 

“Where would I even wear this?” she asks, running her fingers over a blue and purple robe as the cast member approaches to ask if she likes it.

 

“When we go to Japan, you could wear it.” He can see her hesitating, in the way she does when something she wants is a bit more expensive that she’d like to spend on herself. He turns to the cast member, politely asking her to assist Rey with whatever she wanted. Rey’s eyes widen, and he realizes it’s the first time she’s heard him speak a language other than English. His Japanese isn’t great, but it’s passable enough to get him around.

 

“Any chance you speak French?” Rey teases, picking a yellow yukata as well as the blue one to try on.

 

“And Italian,” Ben confirms as she steps into the dressing booth.

 

“Later we’re testing that out,” she tells him, and he looks forward to it.

 

They buy the blue yukata, they have lunch, and Ben has never been happier than watching every little second of joy of Rey’s face. Dessert is taken in Morocco, and Rey makes the decision to skip France all together to not taint her first trip to real France. That doesn’t stop her from meeting Belle to get a picture. United Kingdom is after France, and Ben wraps his arms around her from behind, “Welcome home,” he jokes, and she laughs.

 

They wander through the streets of London, looking at the people posing in the phone booth, and others who pose in front of the green store front pub. There’s a small group of people congregating around the street, cast members waving them over just before three men come barreling out, announcing a limited time magic show spectacular that has a couple veteran Disney goers shrieking in join, scurrying forward with cellphones in hand. Rey, of course, is enthralled by the men who proclaim to start a show detailing the story of King Arthur and the Holy Grail. Apparently, this show was a staple in United Kingdom for several years, having ended a few years ago. They were bringing it back this weekend as a limited time magic event due to popular demand; the crowd goes wild. A few people follow prompts before they’re even given, and the showman jokes they might have seen it one to many times.

 

Rey follows along, delighting in the over exaggerated shoutings and movements, while the man jokes about Mitaka being stone faced, and silent. “Works at the Palace, I think,” he jokes, poking Mitaka before going back to start the story.

 

They pick a King Arthur, and a sir Gallahad, moving them around in pantomime of actual actions, to delights of the crowd. They pick an evil witch, a hag, and the man comes straight up to Rey, looking to Mitaka for permission briefly before wrapping the scarf around her neck. Ever the pleaser, she looks relatively embarrassed but goes along with it, stumbling through a sexy walk when prompted.

 

Ben loves his wife, but a street performer she is not. She can’t stop laughing. Ben can’t help himself when he gets his phone out to record her performance, intending to send it straight to their family. She catches him recording, and mouths, ‘don’t’, giving him a glare with no fire.

 

When the show ends, one of the men--Ben doesn’t know his name, he wasn’t paying that close attention to the antics--takes Rey’s hand, holding it up. “A special applause for Her Royal Highness, Rey Solo, Duchess of Cambridge, who was a wonderful sport!”

 

The crowd goes wild, and Rey runs back to him, jumping hugging him, her hands going to his pockets in an effort to retrieve his phone. “Not a chance, sweetheart, I’m sending that to everyone.”

 

“I’ll divorce you!” she threatens, going to grab his arm when she realizes he’s holding his phone above her head.

 

“I love you too,” he chortles, walking off, leaving her to chase him.

 

*

 

They were shopping, it was the easiest way for Ben to put it. His wife was determined to spoil everyone they know, including their staff like Holdo and Mitaka—who picked out a rather fancy brand of wine to share with his wife. Rey had already spoiled Emilyn with new dolls, and a T-shirt bearing the Disney world logo, and a Duffey bear with more clothes than they owned combined. They’d found his father a watch and his mother a crystal birthstone necklace that was understated, well within his mother’s taste. They’d got Anakin an engraved leather bracelet at Pirates of the Caribbean and found a piece of art at Hollywood studios featuring Beauty and the Beast that Luke and Mara Jade would like. They hadn’t bought anything at Animal Kingdom, instead Rey had chosen to donate handsomely to the conversation foundation to help the animals.

 

They’re heading to Universal tomorrow, to enjoy a couple days there before leaving for Paris, and Rey is determined to finish shopping at Disney Springs, dragging him along from shop to shop looking through things no one person actually ever needs.

 

She drags him into a store called Art of Disney, affixed to a place meant for designing T-shirts. They wander in, and only one cast member is wandering the floor of the nearly empty shop. The average park goer comes in to look at the art, but Ben can see the price tags would be well outside the realm of the budget conscious consumer. The cheapest piece he sees on the wall of framed art is $300 and features Alice, wandering through Wonderland. Rey is drawn to a art piece of Winnie the Pooh characters playing around a pond with Christopher Robin. It’s a Thomas Kinkade, Ben recognizes it almost immediately due to the puzzle versions he’d seen in practically every shop on this trip.

 

Rey looks at it, then looks to the wall, then back to the picture, clearly contemplating something. The cast member doesn’t immediately come to them, they walk around listlessly, probably use to people here strictly for looking. Ben grabs the woman’s attention, “Excuse me, my wife,” and he loves saying that word out loud, “has a question.”

 

Rey flushes pink and denies it, until he hushes her, encouraging to ask when the cast member comes over. “Well, I was just wondering, I see this same piece on the wall. So why is one priced at $199 and this one is priced at $1500?”

 

“Ah, that one is a paper printed version of the painting, in a much cheaper cherry frame. This version is a canvas wrap, framed in antique gold, and is a limited edition gallery proof with the gold foil remarque. Kinkade’s are beautiful pieces for display, but aren’t going to have high value turn around if you’re wanting to sell since most Kinkade’s you find nowadays are just reproductions.”

 

“Oh, I don’t care about that,” Rey waves off, looking at the painting again. “I just really like this painting, reproduction or not, it would look great in a nursery, wouldn’t it?” she questions, looking up at him and he nods in agreement. He would legitimately be surprised if she wasn’t pregnant after the amount of sex they’d had in just the five days they’d been here, and their honeymoon was still a few days longer.

 

“Do you have kids?” the woman asks, clearly hanging on with a sale visible on the horizon.

 

“Not yet. But we’re hoping, possibly within this next year or so, we just got married last Saturday,” Rey tells her, and the woman offers her congratulations; it’s clear she has no idea who they are. “We could hang it at Kensington.”

 

“Would probably have to go through grandmother to have it hang there. We can always put it up in our own home, and have a custom original painting done for Kensington after we do start having children.”

 

“I really want this one,” Rey decides, looking to the cast member asking if they can have it shipped to their hotel; Rey fell in love with the idea the moment it was offered to her at Hollywood Studios.

 

The cast member led them over to the register to ring them up, and put in the shipping information for the Boardwalk. “It’s still early in the day, our pick up is at 1, so it should actually get there this evening. If not this evening, first thing in the morning,” she informs them, adding that she will have it boxed up nicely for them in a box suitable to ship to home if they so choose and gives them a rundown of the basic costs to ship internationally. They’ll be able to ship any items they choose from their hotel.

 

They walk around Disney Springs, looking at the various trading aspects Disney has cashed in on over the years. They stop to look at pins, which Ben doesn’t get the hype over, and it seems neither does Rey. They’d been seeing the lanyards all week, but hadn’t given them much thought. Rey doesn’t understand buying so many pins to trade them, when you could just buy the ones you like. They stock up on souvenir candy at Goofy’s Candy Co., one bag for everyone they know, and tins of popcorn, pretzels, and other chocolate dipped confections.

 

They wander over to a store that only sells mismatch socks, and it bothers Ben that he can’t find one damn match in the whole store. It almost makes him angry, and he knows it’s stupid enough to be annoyed over something so trivial that he has to excuse himself. Rey follows him out seconds later, apologizing to him for making him go into the store in the first place; he hates that she feels she has to apologize. “It’s not your fault,” he reminds, glaring at the travesty of a store.

 

Rey says she knows, and walks him away back towards the center of the Springs, where a stage is, and where there’s a crystal store that Rey leads him into. Her eyes immediately go to the sparkling swarovski crystal Cinderella castle on display in all it’s shining glory. Like a cat to a laser pointer or a dog to a ball, she’s drawn to the sparkles, awing with the people around her as they take pictures. “Only $37,500,” one man scoffs, sarcastically telling his wife that he’ll just dig out his checkbook.

 

Ben knows his wife, and he knows a part of her wants that castle, but hesitates about spending that kind of money on something so ridiculously ostentatious; he can see it in her eyes. She walks away, moving towards tiaras, Ben almost has half a mind to remind Rey that the tiara she wore on the wedding day had almost been quadruple the cost of this little castle, so really she shouldn’t feel bad if she wants it, but he doesn't. Instead, Rey, being his Rey, talks to a little girl who wants to try on tiaras, wanting to be a real princess in her cinderella dress. Her parents have wandered off, it seems, caught up in their own perusal of items around them.

 

The little girl is oblivious as she puts a tiara on Rey’s head and says, “There, now you’re a princess too!”

 

Ben sees the moment that Rey makes a decision. She stands back up and looks at all the tiaras, picking six of them without a thought, declaring they’d be gifts for the little girls she regularly visited at the children’s hospital who had expressed more than once they wished they could have real tiaras. Ben can’t help but love the woman who would drop several hundred dollars on gifts for other people, but balked at buying things for herself, something more than a tshirt, something more than a painting, something that was just so over the top that she kind of deserved it. Rey, his wife, deserved whatever she wanted, and he was determined to give it to her, even if she’d be upset with him later.

 

The parents of the child find her, scolding her for playing in the shop. Ben almost scolds them for not watching their kin, but doesn’t get the chance as they march her out. Rey wanders around the shop, picking out a crystal Ariel for Jaina--her favorite Princess as a little girl--and a beautiful vase with a gold band detailing all the parks for Padme’s office. She spends nearly $6000 on other people, without blinking an eye, telling Ben how much the girls at the hospital will appreciate the tiaras and how they’ll need to get fresh flowers for the vase. “At this point, we’ll need another set of luggage for all these gifts.”

 

Rey’s eyes light up, like she hadn’t thought about that, and next thing he knows he’s being dragged to the nearest store, The World of Disney, to find luggage to haul their gifts in.

 

They choose a hard case Mickey and Minnie set that Rey reasons will be great for Rose or Finn, should they need luggage to use, or when they have kids, they can keep them for them.

 

He can see Rey waning after that, but she still stops in the LEGO store, getting a few sets for the boys at the hospital that enjoy building LEGOs with her. Ben suggests they head back to their hotel, order in room service and rest up for Universal tomorrow and Rey agrees. “Mitaka, will see Rey to the car,” he requests, turning to their other guard to follow him on his secret op.

 

“Where are you going?” Rey asks, not really prying, just general inquiry. He smiles, leaning down to kiss her forehead.

 

“Just saw something I’d like to look at. Just be a moment,” he tells her, and she nods, following Mitaka towards the valet.

 

Ben sneaks back to the crystal shop, walking towards the main counter where a couple are looking at necklaces, trying to pick one out while staying within $100 budget. The wife seems to have her heart set on a minnie mouse necklace with a red ruby that costs just under $150, and the husband won’t budge, telling her she needs to pick something else. The man behind the counter excuses himself as they peruse, helping a young lady who wants to purchase a little crystal Eeyore, holding it close to her chest, afraid if she lets it go, it’ll break.

 

“I’ve been wanting this for a long time,” the girl tells him, handing over a Disney parks employee ID that the man swipes, instantly lowering the prices. “When I saw the deal for cast members I ran right over…”

 

They conversate as the man boxes it up, handing it to the girl, who takes it gleefully, leaving Ben left standing at the counter. “The castle at the front,” he begins, and the man sighs, as if he’s heard one to many jokes about the price of it and is failing miserably at hiding his annoyance.

 

“Yes, sir, that is the real price.”

 

“I realize,” Ben deadpans, pulling out his wallet. “I want to buy it for my wife.”

 

Apparently, saying that gets the necklace buying man in trouble. He sees the wife smack the man’s arm as the worker goes to pull up the information in the computer. “He’s buying his wife a $38000 castle and you won’t cough up fifty extra bucks?” she hisses out at him.

 

“The model in store is display, I can have a brand new model sent to your home, if that’s acceptable.”

 

“That’s more than fine,” he nods, agreeing to the high cost of shipping to the UK when the man asks where he’ll be shipping it to. The man accepts his credit card, putting it on the keyboard as he comes to the shipping information screen, he goes to type in the name from the card when Ben stops him. “Actually, for name can you put Their Royal Highnesses The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge,” he knew Holdo would have a fit is something was shipped to them just bearing the name ‘Ben Solo’ at the top. The secretaries that sorted their mail would likely think it was a prank and the package would never reach him.

 

The man’s fingers pause over the keyboard, hesitating before typing, tabbing down to the address line. “And where do the Duke and Duchess live?”

 

“Kensington Palace, London, W8 4PU.”

 

The man looks thoroughly unamused, as if Ben wasn’t the first person to order something so expensive to be mailed to the royal family in England. “Sir, I do not have time for pranks, I apologize but…”

 

“I _thought_ you looked familiar!” the wife speaks up. “I was standing over here like, is that him? No, it can’t be him, but then you really look like him. You are him, right? Prince Ben Solo, right?”

 

He nods, and the woman claps. “Man, I had such a crush on you when I was a kid! Used to kiss your picture in magazines.”

 

“Glad you had to settle for me,” her husband scowls, Ben notes the man behind the counter goes back to processing his transaction without another word.

 

“Hey, he’s still buying his wife a forty thousand dollar token of his love, where’s my love, huh?” she bites back. They continue to banter as Ben finishes his transaction, handing over his passport to confirm ID, signing what he needs to, and bidding them good day.

 

*

 

“I’m going to run downstairs to get that stuff shipped,” Rey tells him, sliding on her sandals, pulling her hair back into a ponytail. She looks around for her room key, spotting it on the table and sliding it into the pocket of her jean shorts. She knows it’s probably not proper to be seen outside of her room in jean shorts and an oversized tee and without makeup, but she’s tired, and wants to get her packages mailed home before tomorrow morning. Otherwise, they can’t get an early start for Harry Potter World and then she’d be really upset. Besides, it’s almost 10:30 at night, and if the last several days they’ve been here are any indication, not that many people are going to be lingering around this late.

 

“Where do we want to ship those paintings to?  Our home? Or Kensington?” Rey asks, watching Ben roll over to bury his face in their pillows.

 

“Go ahead and send them to Buckingham, grandmother will no doubt want to have a welcome home tea, we can give gifts then,” he grumbles, starting to give in to sleep that she’d to like to indulge in. “Make sure to put Duke and Duchess of Cambridge on address, I’ll text Holdo to let her know they’re coming.”

 

Rey smiles, leaning down to kiss her husband’s cheek, smiling even wider when he gives a half grin. “Go to sleep, baby, I won’t be long.”

 

“Love you,” he mutters through a sigh, falling into a quick sleep.

 

Rey exits her room, Mitaka already waiting for her, to see her downstairs. She double checks her pockets to make sure she has her roomkey, wallet, passport, everything she needs before walking with him towards the lobby gift shop.

 

It’s practically dead silent once they get there, the only sounds filling the space being the quietly playing soundtrack and the occasional shuffle of cast members as they move. It’s eerily quiet, even, most people are likely already in bed, or still at the parks, wanting to get their money's worth, staying till the park is closed and they’re required to leave.

 

She shuffles into the shop, and immediately sees the cast members face drop before plastering on that welcoming Disney smile. Rey gets it, when you’re so close to going home and someone walks in just before closing, it can be frustrating, and by the look of the shop, and the two people just looking over ice cream, this person was hoping they’d be out right at 11 when the store closed. Now she’s here, making work for them.

 

She pulls her pickup slips out and sees the visible relief on the person’s face as they realize it’s just a merchandise pickup, then she instantly feels guilty that she’s making more work for them by asking them to ship it to her home.It doesn’t take them long to find the two paintings and the large bag that holds Emilyn’s Duffy bear, and Duffy’s assorted accessories. She immediately apologizes, and tells them she wants to ship the paintings home. The person does their hardest not to sigh, turning the slips to themselves, looking it over. “Shipping to the UK is going to be $200, is this acceptable?” they ask, voice pitched with the false happiness they no longer feel after a long day of working.

 

“That’s fine. I actually need to change the shipping address too. The one there is my home address.”

 

They type, pulling up the screen, fingers poised over the keyboard. Now, over the course of their week here, Rey has learned to recognize the signs in people when they recognize her and when they don’t, especially in cast members who are trained to treat everyone as equals. This person clearly doesn’t recognize her and seems to hesitate when she asks them to type in TRH Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, looking to her, giving her a once over as if they can’t believe she’s a Duchess, or perhaps wondering if that’s what a Duchess looks like in real life. It’s clear they don’t recognize the title, and continue down to the next line of text.

 

She clears her throat, looking behind her to the people who have decided on Haagen Daaz and are waiting to be rung up at the only available register. “It’s...Buckingham Palace, London…” she hears both women behind her titter, clearly having heard her. The cast member, themselves, hesitates, apologizes, and says they’re need to grab their manager. They also apologize to the couple behind her.

 

She hears one say, “Yes, I’d like my mail sent to Buckingham Palace,” in a whisper to her companion, clearly mocking her, but she’s not going to engage, instead, she waits for the manager who appears from behind a swinging door, and the recognition is almost instant as her eyes widen behind her glasses.

 

“Go ahead and go help face the plush wall,” she tells the other cast member--accent clearly English--who looks confused but goes to do just that. “You wanted to send these on to Buckingham?”

 

“Yes, please,” she nods, seeing that the woman’s name tag declares her to be from London.

 

“I hope you’ve enjoyed your stay with us, your highness,” she says low as she types, acknowledging that she knows exactly who Rey is.

 

“I have. It’s been wonderful. A dream vacation, honestly.”

 

“I know you probably get this alot, but your dress was absolutely gorgeous, you looked amazing,” she compliments, asking if Rey wants the shipping charged to her room or a different card. Rey pulls out her card, holding it out, with her passport for verification.

 

“Thank you.”

 

“I am curious though, was it comfortable? All those layers?” she conversates, handing everything pack, printing the labels to put on the paintings.

 

Rey chuckles, shoving everything back into her pockets. “You know, it really wasn’t that bad, a bit cumbersome but I was comfortable.”

 

She smiles, curtsying before even thinking about it, “It’s been a pleasure, your highness, I hope you’ll stay with us again in the future.”

 

“Definitely,” Rey tells her, heading out back to her room.

 

As she leaves, she hears the mocking women exclaim, “Wait..she was like, real royalty?”

 

*

 

Rey can’t stop gleefully giggling as Ben wraps her in the Gryffindor robes, clasping the piece at her neck, his own green Slytherin robes contrasting against the deep red. She grabs his hand when it’s secured, pulling him closer to Hogwarts, pulling her phone out of her pocket, handing it to Mitaka. “I have to send this to Rose and Finn,” she tells him, telling him it’s important for the sake of house unity.

 

Ben chuckles, turning to kiss her deeply as Mitaka takes another picture. “How’s that for house unity?”

 

Mitaka hands her back her phone and she immediately makes the picture of Ben kissing her in front of Hogwarts in House robes her new wallpaper; it’s officially her new favorite picture. They ride Forbidden Journey, and Rey might cry just a bit because it’s an amazing experience to soar through the grounds of Hogwarts, to dodge the Weeping Willow and be spit on by acromantulas. She loves it so much she begs to do it again to delight in the attaction one more time. They ride the Hogwarts Express to Diagon Alley, and she thinks they probably should have started with Harry Potter last, because now they’re in a different park, but she can’t care when there’s Gringotts, and Weasley Wizard Wheezes. It’s all the magic of her childhood come to life. Not only hers, but Ben’s too, as he doesn’t hesitating in buying a box of peppermint toads, and three sugar quills, four chocolate frogs, and a cauldron cake to share. They buy butterbeer to drink with the cake, both delighting in the smooth butterscotch taste of the drink.

 

Rey can’t even bring herself to care what other attractions they have at Universal. If she never leaves Harry Potter World she’d probably be the happiest princess in the world.

 

*

They make love in Paris, Ben can’t actually remember if they leave their room. All he knows is that they  make love, constantly, with the Eiffel Tower as their backdrop.

 

*

 

It’s not a joke when his mother had said they’d be back briefly before their tour. There’s time for a brief birthday party, gift giving from their honeymoon, and then they’re on a jet to Australia. They’re in New Zealand, Fiji, and Brunei, and Rey wins over everyone they meet with charm and grace that Ben can’t exude as flawlessly. She’s the picture perfect definition of a royal, with the way she properly sits, how she greets everyone with handshakes and curtsies when necessary. How she treats children as equals, and offerings to play games with them, or be shown what they enjoy.

 

She listens intently, nodding, directing dignitaries to Ben when she can’t answer their requests or ponderances. He can’t stop his heart from swelling to three sizes bigger as he watches her in their day to day life now. It’s not a honeymoon anymore, it’s what’s their job, their work, and she’s amazing, an angel; a beacon to which he’s draw to every day.

 

Even when her frustration grows, week after week, negative pregnancy test after negative test, she never lets it affect her work. She continues on as if she’s not angry, frustrated at their apparent inability to conceive a child. Rey handles each hurdle with poise and dignity he’d never be able to sustain. She’s everything he’s not, and he can’t believe how lucky he is to be complimented by her.

 

*

 

Rey sighs as the doctor does her work, using the equipment she brought with her to Kensington to run the various tests she needed to. They had been back from their second tour for just over a week now, just in time for Christmas and Rey is still suffering from jetlag, constantly nauseous, some vomiting, constipation, absolutely horrible. It was Ben that insisted they call the physician to look her over to make sure she hadn’t picked something up on their way home.

 

Rey didn’t exactly want to deal this close to Christmas. They had been trying since their honeymoon to get pregnant, only for every test to come up negative. Even with Ben suggesting a pause in their sex life, wondering if they were having too much sex, nothing came about.

 

Logically, she knew they had time to have children, but baby fever was striking her hard, and Ben is already 33 years old, and she knew he’d rather have kids now rather than later; even if he says he’s okay with waiting, she was impatient. She thought their night of passion while camping in Canada just over three months ago had done it, except that she’d gotten her period just before they came back from Kenya--light, and only lasting a short three days, but a period nonetheless.

 

Ben sits there, holding her hand, massaging her knuckles, while the doctor runs her tests, mumbling to herself as she waits. When the little machine testing her blood dings, the doctor makes an assuring noise, nodding to herself, writing on her clipboard, coming over to them as they sit on their bed, in their home, away from the prying eyes of the world.  She’d run every test possible, even giving Rey a pregnancy test just to make sure, as well as a test for her cholesterol, blood sugar, iron, if it was possible to be tested for it, the doctor did it.

 

Clearly, she had the results in hand.

 

“Well, your blood iron levels are low, but I think that’s likely caused by your pregnancy,” the doctor says so nonchalantly that Rey has to repeat what she said back.

 

“I’m sorry...what?” Ben says for her, until the moment her brain catches up and she’s exclaiming a question of her own.

 

“We can do a proper exam to determine how far along you are at a later date, but the tests say you are pregnant, and your symptoms are consistent with pregnancy. I’ve run the test twice, but I can run it a third time, if you’d like.”

 

“B-but...I had a period, just a few days ago, I can’t be pregnant.”

 

Their doctor adjusts her glasses, looking at her clipboard. “It could have been spotting. You said it was lighter and shorter than usual, which is perfectly normal in the first trimester of pregnancy. Based on the information you gave me, I feel comfortable in saying you’re around 12-13 weeks, but again, we can confirm with a proper appointment.”

 

Rey looks at the floor, saying in disbelief to herself. “I’m pregnant.”

 

“Congratulations,” the doctor says, the smile clear in her voice.

 

Rey looks up at the woman before turning to her husband who seems just as shocked as she is. Ben looks back at her, giving her a half smile, his hand twitching as if he wants to reach out and grab her. “We’re pregnant,” he tells her, and she does the reaching for him, lunging forward to wrap her arms around his neck, burying her head against his shoulder, letting tears spill out.

 

“We’re pregnant!”

 

*

 

Rey sat next to her husband, his hand reaching out for her instinctively as Emilyn opened her gifts. It was their first Christmas as husband and wife, their last Christmas as a family of two, and she smiled at Ben as he stood up, grabbing the blue snowflake wrapped package, handing it to his mother. “It’s kind of a gift for you and dad, we just put it in one box.”

 

“You know, you can afford two boxes,” Han jokes as Leia shakes her head, unwrapping the box. Jaina is in the middle of opening a gift from her husband when they’re all startled at the sound, a scream, Leia makes. “Is this for real, kid?” Han asks, lifting up the little white onesie that declares: Hi, Grandma and Grandpa, see you in June, with a little gold crown underneath.

 

Jaina lets out her own exclamation, hurrying over just as Han finds the sonogram photo. Rey smiles as her mother-in-law comes over to her, tears in her eyes, hugging her tightly. “You’re having a baby!”

 

“I’m having a baby,” Rey repeats, smiling to her husband, who smiles back. “We’re having a baby.”

 

Next year, they’d be a family of three.

 

*

 

**The Royal Family** @RoyalFamily 3h

 

Congratulations to HRH Prince Ben, Duke of Cambridge and wife Rey Solo, Duchess of Cambridge on their pregnancy. Expecting our new arrival in June!

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And there it is! The End! I do have ideas for an expanded universe featuring their kid(s?) if anyone is interested leave me a comment and let me know! Aside from that, so fun Disney information!
> 
> I actually had to google a lot of things, because I haven't been to Disney in five years, so alot of my favorite shows are now gone with new versions, rides are changed, etc. and of course, Downtown Disney is now Disney Springs, so had to fact check all of that.
> 
> If anyone is curious, people ship to home quite often on bigger items, and there were instances where I did have to get a manager because i wasn't sure what to do. Also, the Arriba's Brother's workers get a lot of jokesters in there, I've seen a few myself during my time at Disney. VIP tours are a very real thing, mainly used by the rich or celebrities (it's expensive to have guest services with you all day), and there are choices between walking through the park or using the cast member portals (backstage or tunnels in MK's case), and usually the person/group is led through the exits of the rides to avoid crowds. Also, the $38000 crystal castle is so real it hurts. It's a beautiful piece, so that was a bit of lifestyle indulgence on my part, wish I had the money to buy it!
> 
> I think that's all I have! I appreciate all of my readers and all of the kudos and comments I've received. Thank you again for the support!

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for making it to the end of this chapter! I appreciate you!
> 
> If you enjoyed, feel free to leave a kudo or a comment, and I hope you'll stick around for chapter 2.
> 
> Thank you again!


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